When Dark Turns to Light
by nerd4rice725
Summary: Mia Taylor has had a trying adult life, until she is offered a job from her godmother and realizes there is more to her than she knew. I guess this could be considered AU? Loosely following the timeline and events of the series, with some obvious changes here and there. Rated M for dark content and later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: A Whole New World

**A/N:** Hello Everyone! I'm a bit nervous posting this, but here it goes. It's been a hot minute since I've posted FF, so I might be a bit rusty. With that being said, I would love to hear what you all have to say, and I want to see where I can do better. This is my first time venturing into the HP FF Universe, so please be gentle! If you have suggestions, please let me know! See you all in the reviews! 3

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 1** – _A Whole New World_

* * *

I cannot believe I am here. I thought it was just a place you read about in books.

The train came to a gentle halt as I kept my gaze on the building I would be calling home for the next – how long would I be here? I have been drowning in my anxiety since I ran through the pillar that took me through to Platform 9 ¾. I didn't know anyone, and no one seemed to notice me. I was just another kid in the crowd. But I wasn't a kid. Not exactly.

I probably could be a mother to some of the younger ones – but I would have been a young mother.

Why did they make me ride with the other students? Is this an attempt to acclimate me to this new culture? I think I spent more time trying to calm my ever beating heart than trying to fit in. I looked around at the students excitedly exiting the Hogwarts Express. Although the majority of the students seemed happy to be back, there were always the select few who begrudgingly stepped off the train. Most of them were already in what looked like the school's uniforms and were colored with green.

As I slung my duffle bag onto my shoulder, I noticed a rather large man frantically waving his hand at me. His beard was probably the size of my face, and he was nearly two – maybe three – times my size. I was terrified.

"I have been expecting you, Ms. Taylor. Welcome to Hogwarts!" the Jolly Bearded Giant bellowed to me as he scooped me into a hug. The wind was knocked right out of me, but luckily my response time didn't give way to my lack of air. I managed to wrap my arms around a quarter of his body, returning the favor.

"Please, call me Mia," I managed to breathe as he let me down.

"Okay, Mia. I'm Hagrid. I'm so glad to finally meet you. The Headmaster has requested that I accompany you on your first round of the grounds."

Good, it's nice to have a bodyguard around when you're somewhere unfamiliar. I could feel my anxiety start to dissipate.

"That would be great, thanks," I smiled at Hagrid. He seems nice. He looked embarrassed for a moment.

"If you would excuse me for a moment, I need to get these students on their way before we go ourselves. Will you be okay here by yourself?" I nodded, and took a seat on the bench he gestured to.

"I won't be too long. Harry! You better hurry up before they leave you!" Hagrid said as he hastily herded the students towards what looked like a line of carriages.

I watched as the number of students on the platform became smaller and smaller, until it was just me and Hagrid's voice in the background. I took in a deep breath as I wrapped my cardigan tighter around me. It gets pretty chilly here, doesn't it? I looked at the white smoke that left my mouth as I exhaled. Maybe I should have packed warmer clothes. Oddly enough, the cold was very welcoming. Had it been any other day, I would have cursed Mother Nature for bringing the temperature lower than I would like.

The air felt different around here. It's not your usual polluted air, and as cold as it felt, I wasn't exactly quivering in my boots. It almost felt comfortable. I took in a deep breath of air, enjoying the tingling feeling of the cold through my nostrils. It felt clean. This is how humans should be breathing.

The train suddenly fell silent, and all you can see was the last of the steam gently making its way through the air. All the cars were empty, with several windows opened and some closed. I looked around, and all I could see was nature, with the mountain ridge softly framing the background. The moon was bright tonight, but not quite full. This would be a perfect place to do a night hike. I'll have to see if I can take a night to do this. My anxiety will thank me for it. Off in the distance, I can see the last carriage taking off, and Hagrid was making his way back to me. I took it upon myself to meet him halfway.

"Fancy taking a walk to the castle? It's not as far as it seems." Hagrid offered his arm, and I gladly took it as we departed the platform.

As we followed the same path the carriages took, Hagrid started talking about the history of this place. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Definitely something you hear about only in books. But alas, here I am walking right for it. As we got closer, I could feel my gaze going higher and higher, until I was forced to bring it back to a comfortable level before my neck protested. I was in and out of Hagrid's spiel about the school, but I did catch the part where he said meals will be provided. My stomach gratefully bowed to him.

"Professor Dumbledore has requested to speak with you once we got onto the grounds. I'll finish our tour tomorrow. We will have the whole day to get lost in this place."

I laughed. I'm not sure if I'm ready to get lost in this place just yet. "At least I won't be alone when that happens," I said as I noticed an older man walking towards the tall gates we were approaching. He was in long robes, and had a beard that seemed to be well-groomed. I assumed this is the Professor Dumbledore that I would be speaking with.

"Ah, Hagrid, thank you for escorting Ms. Taylor onto the grounds," the older man said, with a gentle rasp in his voice. He reminded me of my grandpa. I miss him.

"Don't mention it professor. I will be seeing her again tomorrow for her official tour." Hagrid turned to me and gave a small smile. "Until tomorrow, Mia."

"Thank you Hagrid," I said, returning the smile. Hagrid walked off somewhere, and I turned my attention to the man in robes.

"Ms. Taylor, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the professor said, extending his hand out to mine. I took it and shook firmly.

"Please, call me Mia. Thank you for giving me this opportunity," I replied.

"Very well, though I have to admit, you should be thanking Minerva. She spoke very highly of you. I know this must be all new to you, which I why I took it upon myself to be the one who will walk you to the Great Hall. You may leave your belongings here. I will have Filch take care of it for you." He gestured for me to walk through the tall gates. Hesitantly, I dropped my bag, quickly running through what was in there in my head. Nothing of value, it will be fine. As I stepped through, I felt a tingle run through my body. Goosebumps invaded my skin as I shivered for a second.

"You will get used to that sensation," Professor Dumbledore said. What?

"Um, forgive me, Professor, but all my knowledge of this kind of culture were in books. It's overwhelming to actually see all of this in front of me," I said nervously, drinking in the enormity of the castle grounds. I don't think one day with Hagrid is going to cut it.

Professor Dumbledore gave a slight chuckle. "I assure you, in due time, you will become well acquainted with this world, and you won't feel so out of place. I have enlisted our best faculty to ensure your transition into our society will be as smooth as possible."

Our walk to this Great Hall was quiet, mostly because I just couldn't stop looking at everything. I don't think I was able to hold a conversation with the Professor. It was amazing looking at all the architecture and all of the art hanging from the walls. The number of portraits – wait – did that painting just move? I slowed my pace by a fraction to see if I was really seeing the paintings move. I jumped at the Professor laughing.

"Yes, Mia, what you saw was correct," he said, eyes twinkling at me. How did he know? Was it that obvious?

"I guess it's not that far off considering where I am, but it's still odd seeing it for myself," I admitted, looking at the floor. I felt a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"You will do just fine. Ah, here we are. The Great Hall." I noticed the Professor rest his hands behind his back as he let me stand there and gape at the huge doors before us. Who would need doors this tall? I could hear the soft mumbling of what could be students inside. I could feel my anxiety running high again. I closed my eyes and tried to slow my breath as I heard Professor Dumbledore step in front of me and open the doors.

I opened my eyes and drank in my surroundings. There were 4 very long tables. Students were sitting at every table, and then there was the group that was standing at the front. The students sitting close to the door whirled around as they could surely feel the doors open, looking at myself and the Professor. I let out a shaky breath as Dumbledore signaled for me to following him. Luckily, he led me towards one side of the room, as we walked our way up towards the front. I counted my lucky stars as I dragged one hand over the wall, stabilizing myself. When we got up to the front, he brought me up the step and faced what I assumed was the faculty of the school. I could feel my anxiety shoot up again. How did I ever agree to this?

"Everyone, I would like to quickly introduce you to Mia Taylor. She came highly recommended by Minerva. We will have more formal introductions tomorrow at our meeting. I would appreciate if you all would help Mia feel welcome among us." The Professor laid his hand on my shoulder again. I looked at him with a small smile. It was the best I could give with the amount of anxiety running through my body.

"Please Mia, have a seat, we will be starting shortly," Professor Dumbledore said, gesturing toward a seat next to my Auntie Minnie. I thanked my stars again for letting me sit next to the one person I know here. I walked around, excusing myself through a few faculty members before reaching the seat next to my godmother.

"Mia, my dear," Auntie Minnie said, standing and hugging me tight. I inhaled her scent as I closed my eyes and reminisced about the days she would watch me while my parents were out running errands. She was like my second mother, always there to guide me right beside my own mother. After that horrible day, she came in to take care of me, and I will be ever so grateful for her.

This job is a total blessing in disguise, all thanks to her. It's like she knew if I had to spend another day on my own I would go insane. I still don't know if I will ever fit in, but I will sure try my best.

"Auntie Minnie! It's so great to see you after all of these years," I said, embracing her.

She paused to take a long look at me.

"You have grown so much. You are a strong woman, you know. Just like your mother." I blushed as I looked away. I miss my mom.

"Thank you, Auntie Minnie. I just don't want to screw this up. You gave me such a great place to work and stay. And it came at the right time." Auntie Minnie held my hand as we both took a seat.

"It's been years since I've seen you, and with the new curriculum the Ministry is implementing, I knew you would be the best fit for the position. In addition, I will get to see you more often. What kind of godmother would I be if I wasn't able to spend time with my god daughter?" She smiled at me again before Professor Dumbledore stood to begin the event.

The students in front of us looked frightened. They all stared at this strange looking hat that sat on a stool. As soon as Professor Dumbledore was finished speaking, the hat (apparently it is called The Sorting Hat) started to speak. Since I discovered that the portraits move, it wasn't that much of a surprise that this Sorting Hat could talk as well I glanced around at the other teachers who were sat at the table. They all seemed to be listening to what the Sorting Hat tried to say. Once the Sorting Hat was done, Auntie Minnie stood and took her place behind the stool.

"As I call your name, please come forward." She gracefully took a roll of parchment from her pocket and proceeded to call names off to sit with the Sorting Hat.

I had an idea of what was going on, but I wanted to know for sure what exactly was happening. To my left was Auntie Minnie's empty chair. To my right was another teacher, dressed in black robes and some really heavy duty boots. His hair barely reached his shoulders and was almost as black as his robes. I couldn't see any of his facial features besides a slight hint of his cheeks and his protruding nose. His long, delicate hands were laid on the table, one on top of the other. His gaze seemed set at the group of students being "sorted" into houses. I lightly tapped him on the shoulder, clearing my throat.

"Sorry, but what is going on with these students?" I whispered to the man. He gave me a piercing stare that seemed to drill right though my very soul. Maybe I shouldn't have asked him to explain to me what was going on. I bit my lower lip as he sighed in frustration.

"This is the Sorting Ceremony," he said, looking back at the students.

"These students here are first years. They will be sorted into the four houses and will remain in their houses until they are finished with school." Suddenly, the hat yelled "Gryffindor!" and everyone applauded for the new recruit. I followed suit, still not quite understanding.

I leaned towards the teacher again. "How do they know where to assign them? Is it random?" The teacher gave another frustrated sigh.

"The Sorting Hat can sense certain attributes from the students. It then determines which house is the best pairing for the student and assigns accordingly," he said in a flat tone.

That just sounds bizarre. I leaned back in my chair and watched as the kids get sorted.

"Harry Potter," Auntie Minnie announced, and almost suddenly the room erupted into whispers. Is he some kid from a famous family? A young boy with round glasses walked forward and sat on the stool. Auntie Minnie gently placed the hat on Harry's head and it took up a life of its own. This one was taking exceptionally long. What was so special about him?

"Not Slytherin, eh?" the Sorting Hat said. My brow furrowed, and I could feel my brain trying to understand why this boy was taking so long to be sorted. Finally after a few more minutes of remarks, the hat decided to assign Harry Potter to Gryffindor. The rest of the Sorting Ceremony went pretty smoothly, until finally there were no more students standing in front of the Sorting Hat. After the last student was assigned to a house called Hufflepuff, Auntie Minnie waved her hand and the stool and hat vanished.

Whoa. How did she do that?

As she took her seat next to me, Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat again.

"Very good, very good. I hope everyone is satisfied with their placements. I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce a new faculty member. Ms. Taylor," Professor Dumbledore looked at me as he said my name. I nervously rose from my chair and looked at the faculty, then to the students.

"Ms. Taylor is not from the wizarding world, but I'm sure she will fit in just fine. The Ministry has implemented a new curriculum which has added a few new courses that Ms. Taylor will be heading." He paused to briefly look at me and smile.

"Please join me in welcoming Ms. Taylor to Hogwarts." The whole room erupted in applause. I smiled, feeling more at ease. As the applause died, I sat back down, trying to stop the blush that was creeping up.

"Now, without further ado," I heard Professor Dumbledore say, before a full plate of food had appeared in front of me. It was still steaming, like it had just came out of the oven. I took a big whiff and it seemed like all of my anxiety left my body. There were potatoes, beef, gravy, and vegetables. I picked up my fork and dug right in. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I swallowed my first bite.

I was about halfway through when a teacher started to make his way around us to talk to the man next to me.

"P-p-professor S-snape, may I have a word?" The man seemed to ignore me as he addressed my neighbor, who apparently was Professor Snape. I didn't think much of it, and went back to finishing my meal. I looked out towards the room at all the students that were now seated at the 4 tables. They seemed to have gotten along so quickly after the Sorting Ceremony. I wish my school had done something like that. Maybe it would have spared me my agonizing high school years.

"Once you're done, dear, I will walk you to your private quarters," Auntie Minnie said, bringing my attention back to her. I nodded, taking one last swig of my drink.

"I'm ready, Auntie." She smiled as we both rose from our seats and excused ourselves from the table.

After walking through 2 sets of doors, we seemed to be back on the hallway that Professor Dumbledore and I were walking through.

"How have the years treated you my dear? Has it gotten easier?" she asked, looking at me with concern. Oh, Auntie Minnie. She was never good at beating around the bush. I gave a large sigh, mentally preparing myself for the onslaught of memories to come crashing through me. I really didn't want to deal with this right now.

"I feel like I've doubled my age. I was stuck in a rut for a while. After you left, it just got harder for me. Everything was going downhill until your letter literally came flying through my window." Whew, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

"Thank you, again, for throwing my name out there. I won't let you down," I told her, looking at her through tear filled eyes. I was being completely serious. Had that letter not come through, I don't think I would have been breathing today. She stopped to cup a dainty hand on my cheek as a tear slid down my face.

"Oh, Mia. You will do fine. Now, enough with those tears of yours. You must be tired." I nodded as she led me again down another hallway and down a set of stairs. We went down one more set of stairs before arriving at what seemed like the bottom level of the castle.

"I apologize, Mia, that your quarters couldn't be closer to mine, or somewhere livelier than the dungeons," Auntie Minnie said, regret evident in her voice. We continued down the hallway, passing 3 doors before stopping at the 4th. She turned to me and held out a hand towards the door.

"This door leads to your private quarters. I have been informed that all your belongings have made it here safe and sound." I sighed in relief.

Auntie Minnie gave me a motherly smile. "If there is anything you need, there is a small bag of powder atop the fireplace mantle. Just take a pinch, throw it in the fire and say 'Professor McGonagall's Office'. I will have Hagrid come down and fetch you for our faculty meeting tomorrow." She gave me a small kiss on the cheek. "Do get some rest tonight, dear. You have had a long day. Good night, Mia."

"I will. Good night Auntie Minnie."

She hugged me one more time before letting me walk into my room. As I opened the door the torches lining the entryway and the fireplace sparked on. I could suddenly feel the room becoming warmer. I walked through the entryway to see my belongings already put away on the shelves. There was one item I wanted to make sure made it here in one piece. I looked around to try and find it, until my eyes landed on it tucked away in the corner.

It was a piano that was given to me by my parents when I was younger. I learned how to play right after they gifted it to me. It was beautiful, all black with a shiny top coat. The foot pedals were silver, and the bench was a matching black with silver trimming. I walked to it and sat on the bench.

I let my fingers run across the keys. They were smooth, just as I remembered. It has been a while since I have played. It was one of the first items to be moved here, so I was without it for a couple of weeks. As the rest of my anxiety finally disappeared for the night, my emptiness was replaced by peace. I closed my eyes, trying to visualize the peace blanketing me. I rested both hands on the keys, ready to play.

I took a deep breath and started playing the one song that helped me get through those dark years.


	2. Chapter 2: New Kid in Town

**A/N:** Hello again! I would just like to add a warning that there are a couple places in this chapter that mention instances of domestic violence. The first is right here in the beginning flashback/nightmare and the second is when Minerva is with Mia during her breakdown. Although they are pretty mild, you are more than welcome to skip over them if you are not comfortable reading that kind of stuff. Happy reading and see you in the reviews!

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 2** : _New Kid in Town_

* * *

 _I was running, but where was I running to? Something was chasing me. Something terrifying. I could hear my breathing getting faster. Everything started to get dark. I tripped over something, and I started falling._

 _This is it. This is how I was going to die._

 _I closed my eyes as I felt the rush of wind pass by my face. At least I won't have to face this world anymore._

 _Suddenly, I landed with a thud on a bed. My bed. What in the world?_

 _I looked around and I was back in my room in my old home. All of my belongings were there, it's as if I never left._

 _"Baby, is that you?" a man's voice came booming through the room._

 _I knew that voice. I don't like that voice. I tried to hide under my blankets, but in an instant, I heard him walking into my room and pulling the blanket back. I stared at him with frightened eyes, bracing myself for what was to come._

 _He looked at me with that menacing stare and that evil smile that he always had before he was going to begin._

 _"Don't look so scared, my love. We have done this before. You should be used to it by now."_

 _"You will never get away with this," I spat at him. A swift hand to my face showed me where I belong._

 _"Oh, dear. That mouth will not do here." He shoved my body down onto the bed before proceeding to unbutton his pants._

* * *

Sweat dripped down my face as I abruptly woke up. My anxiety got the best of me again, robbing me yet another night of sleep. I wiped the sweat off of my face as I got out of bed to wash my face. The cold floor was welcoming to my feet. The fire had gone out some time ago, just a few embers crackling their last spark. I was relieved to feel the warm water automatically coming out of the faucet, and splashed it on my face. Much better. I wiped my face before sitting on the couch that faced the fireplace.

It was fairly dark in the room, except for the few torches that lit when I woke up. I sighed, covering my face and letting out a few tears.

Those years were horrible. I will never forget them, but I wish I could.

Maybe if my parents never got in that accident, none of that wouldn't have happened. I can't blame it on them though. It was my fault for letting that sorry excuse for a man into my life. And it is still my fault for letting him do all of those horrible things to me. I sobbed harder as more memories started to fill my mind. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to do something.

I got up to look for a familiar case. It had a distinct shape, so there was no mistaking it for something else. I found it leaning against my wardrobe, safe and sound. I opened the case to find my favorite guitar. It was custom made, colored blue and fit just for me. I decided to leave my room for somewhere more open. The cold air was welcoming to my skin.

Where was I going? I remembered taking these stairs to get down here, so I just retraced my steps until I got to the Great Hall. I looked around, wondering where to go. I decided to turn left and went down a new hallway. I probably went through 2 or 3 hallways before finding a garden with a greenhouse in the corner. I thought this would be a good place. I sat on a patch of green, leaning against the stone wall behind me. I positioned my guitar on my lap, and I started to play.

"Darling I will be loving you until we're seventy. Baby my heart can still fall as hard at twenty three," I started singing as I strummed the familiar melody. I was quiet at first, not sure how the acoustics would be in this place. Surprisingly, my guitar sounded beautiful as it softly echoed through the walls. I smiled, loving the noise. I could feel my anxiety start to dissipate yet again.

 _Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes_  
 _But it's the only thing that I know_  
 _When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes_  
 _It is the only thing that makes us feel alive_

 _We keep this love in a photograph_  
 _We made these memories for ourselves_  
 _Where our eyes are never closing_  
 _Hearts are never broken_  
 _And time's forever frozen still_

 _So you can keep me_  
 _Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans_  
 _Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet_  
 _You won't ever be alone, wait for me to come home_

The song sounded beautiful in here! I've never heard it like this before. My heart swelled as the strumming of the guitar put my mind at ease.

 _So you can keep me_  
 _Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans_  
 _Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet_  
 _You won't ever be alone_

 _And if you hurt me_  
 _That's okay baby, only words bleed_  
 _Inside these pages you just hold me_  
 _And I won't ever let you go_  
 _Wait for me to come home_

 _Wait for me to come home_  
 _Wait for me to come home_  
 _Wait for me to come home_

Suddenly, I saw a black figure out of the corner of my eye. I stopped playing to look up, but they were gone. Odd. Didn't know I had an audience. I went back to my guitar and looked out into the garden. I must have been sitting there for quite some time until I heard footsteps coming toward me.

"Ms. Taylor." I knew that voice. Sounds like Professor Snape. I looked up to see that I was correct.

"Professor Snape, right? Sorry, I heard that other teacher last night," I responded, noticing his jaw tightened. I hope I haven't overstayed my welcome.

"That would be correct. Why are you here in the garden? It's…odd seeing someone here this early," he asked, eyeing me curiously.

"Couldn't really sleep, so I decided to walk around and found his place. It's beautiful." I noticed a faint smirk on this face, but it quickly went away. Was this his garden? I wouldn't peg him for having a green thumb.

"It would be to your benefit that you make your way back to your private quarters. I, unfortunately, passed Hagrid in the halls, and he seems quite excited to meet with you today. I suspect he will be by to see you soon," he said, resting his hands behind his back and staring down at me. Locks of his jet black hair dangled in front of his face as he looked down at me sitting on the grass. Usually I would be terrified when someone stared at me like that. When Lucas looked at me with those kind of eyes, I wanted to run for the hills. There was something about Professor Snape that made me...curious.

I stared at Professor Snape for a moment before shaking me head of my thoughts. "Then I should probably find my way back and get ready," I sighed, picking myself off the ground and swatting away the dirt that was on my legs.

Well, this was embarrassing. I was in shorts that barely covered me and a thin camisole with a lace trimming. He probably shouldn't be seeing me in that. I covered my face in embarrassment as I struggled to retrace my steps back to my room.

* * *

As soon as I was done with my make-up, Hagrid was knocking at my door.

"Be right there!" I yelled towards the door, hoping he could hear me. I slipped on my black pumps and yanked my black pea coat out from the wardrobe. This should keep me warm while we're on our tour. I took a quick glance at my reflection in a mirror then opened the door to an eager Hagrid.

I never realized how complex this castle was until I could certainly feel my feet crying. It was so beautiful, minus being so massive. How am I supposed to remember where all these different places though? Do they have a map that I can keep if I get lost? I sighed as we stopped in front of a door. I could hear muffled voices coming from behind it. It must be the rest of the staff.

"It looks like our tour has come to an end," Hagrid said, rather sadly. I smiled at him. I really appreciate him taking the time to walk me around. Saves me from getting lost on the first day of school.

"Thank you so much Hagrid. I really appreciate you doing that," I told him, patting his arm quite awkwardly. He scooped me in for a hug, and I couldn't help but laugh. He's a nice guy.

"Best be going through that door now. The staff meeting will be starting soon," he said, gesturing towards the door.

"You're not staying for the meeting?" I asked, curious. It'd be nice to have someone to sit with.

"This one is just for faculty, I'm afraid. But you know where my house is, stop by anytime!" He waved before walking off. I shook my head as I opened the door.

Ugh. The new kid is here. At least that's what it felt like. A majority of the teachers turned to look at me. I felt my anxiety rushing into my cheeks as I quickly found a seat in the corner. I took out a small notebook I had in my pea coat and a pen and started to doodle, trying to not bring more focus to myself. It felt like an eternity before I saw Auntie Minnie walk in.

"Mia dear, please come sit up front with me," she said, waving me to follow her. I gave a frustrated sigh as I got up and followed her to the front of the room.

"I liked my little corner," I whispered, sitting next to her.

"I know you did, you always liked sitting as far away as possible. I'm determined to change that," she said with a determined look.

"Auntie!"

"You'll get used to it," she said, patting my shoulder.

A few minutes later, Professor Dumbledore came in and began the meeting. It seemed pretty standard enough. They went over any new policies and changes for this year, and went over school events. Unfortunately for me, this went all too quickly.

"Now that we are all in the same room, I'd like to formally introduce you all to our new teacher for our new curriculum," the older man said.

Oh no. He's going to turn the spotlight on me.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Ms. Mia Taylor. Ms. Taylor, if you would come up please."

Damn it. Damn it all.

I cast a nervous glance to Auntie Minnie before slowly rising from my seat to join Professor Dumbledore at the front of the class. My breathing was so erratic and my hands were a sweaty mess. I hope I don't have to shake their hands anytime soon. I gave Professor Dumbledore a small smile before he continued.

"As you all know, the Ministry is now making a conscious effort to be more connected with the non-wizarding world. As such, they have approved Ms. Taylor to be our fearless leader in shaping the new Muggle Relations curriculum."

WHAT?! When was this information going to be relayed to me?! I took a steadying breath as I tried to digest what was just said.

"This new curriculum will cover anything and everything related to the non-wizarding culture, as Ms. Taylor seems fit. For the time being, she will have free reign to teach what she thinks would be important and would benefit our students. Once we have had a thorough variety of classes, the Ministry and Ms. Taylor will work closely to narrow down classes." Professor Dumbledore gave me an approving look. I shoved my hands in my pockets to hide my embarrassment.

"Ms. Taylor has come highly recommended from Professor McGonagall. She has an impressive list of academic accomplishments, along with a plethora of extracurricular activities to boot. Now, Ms. Taylor, would you mind sharing a little bit about yourself? Don't be too shy," Professor Dumbledore said, opening the floor to me. I drew a long breath before staring at the almost full room.

"With all due respect, Professor, but I think you summed up my life better than I could," I said. Maybe it can end here. Chuckles came from around the room. Auntie Minnie sat with that all too familiar smirk, but I could tell she was proud of me for being here.

"Excuse me, Ms. Taylor, but could you elaborate on where you are from?" one of the teachers asked.

"Oh, well, um, I was born and raised in the United States. While I was in high school I was already granted entry to some of the top universities in America. I chose to go to USC, which was probably an hour from where I lived. I graduated with two degrees." The room seemed to be confused by what I said. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat to help me clarify.

"For those of you who are not quite familiar with the non-wizarding world, those degrees can be considered the equivalent of completing two apprenticeships and achieving two Masters." Gasps and whispers erupted. What was the big deal?

"How old are you, dear? You seem quite young to have that kind of status," another teacher asked.

"Early 30s, ma'am. I graduated from USC about 8 years ago." This earned a gasp from a few of the teachers.

"That is certainly quite a feat, dear," Auntie Minnie said. I don't think she knew I had graduated with a double major.

"For as young as you are, you have quite a brain up there." I blushed as I tried to look away.

"How did you end up here?" Another faculty member asked.

"It's a bit personal, I'm afraid, but long story short: I was not in the best of places and Professor McGonagall offered me this position to get me out of some trouble. I couldn't refuse. Anywhere was better than where I was." I always say too much. I looked over to Professor Dumbledore, who gave me a nod.

"Thank you, Ms. Taylor. That will be all for now. It seems that we have run out of time. I wish you all a great school year." As everyone was gathering their bags and leaving, Auntie Minnie told me to stay.

"You did so well, my dear," she said, pulling me into a hug.

"Thanks, I guess. I think I'll be fine after a couple of days," I said, fiddling with my notebook.

"Ms. Taylor, I'd like to introduce you to someone, although I have the feeling you two have already met." I looked at the man that stood next to Professor Dumbledore. At least now I'm fully clothed and presentable.

"Severus Snape, this is Ms. Taylor, though I'm inclined to think she would like to be addressed as Mia," Professor Dumbledore said, winking at me.

"Pleasure," Professor Snape said flatly, extending his hand. I shook his, officially introduced now.

"Yes, we briefly talked last night and he saw me this morning in the garden." Auntie Minnie gave me a look.

"It's comforting to know nothing has changed," she said, knowing what I was doing. After all, she was the one that gifted me the guitar. I smiled at her, feeling a bit childish.

"Professor Snape will be at the forefront of helping you acclimate into the wizarding world. Seeing as you both share the same floor, we thought this would be the most logical choice," Professor Dumbledore said, eyeing the man. Professor Snape rolled his eyes.

"My office is next door to yours. I will send you my office hours." Geez, okay Captain Control Freak. Professor Dumbledore grumbled.

"Please don't mind his tone. Feel free to ask for his assistance at any time." Professor Snape's jaw tightened as he gave a stern look to the older man. This was starting to get uncomfortable. Am I that much of an inconvenience already? Auntie Minnie seemed to sense my discomfort and motioned for me to follow her.

"It was great to officially meet you, Professor," I said smiling at him. He gave me a respectful nod as I walked out.

"Don't worry about Severus. That's how he always is," Auntie Minnie said, guiding me to what looked like her personal floor. She mumbled something as one of the portraits swung open and we walked into her room.

"This place is amazing, I never knew places like this existed," I said, taking in the enormity that was her sitting room. It was similar to mine, but much bigger. Everything was bigger.

"Anything can exist, my dear, it's whether we chose to accept that they exist," she said, waving me to have a seat on the couch. The fireplace sprung to life as I sat down.

"These here are standard policies and procedures for the classroom." She pointed to several rolls of parchment that were on the coffee table in front of us.

"I suggest you read them and, if you must, make any changes. Seeing as this is a new curriculum, the Ministry has made the approval to let you revise as necessary, but final approval on the policies and procedures will still be through the Headmaster. You will not be teaching this term, as they would like you to take this time to get used to this new environment and prepare yourself for your upcoming classes. The Headmaster has approved for you to sit in anyone's class as you deem fit, given they have notice of your visitation."

I nodded. "Seems fair enough."

We sat there for about an hour as we went through how her classes were set up and how she keeps order in her classes. I know this will be tough for me, coming in with just some tutoring experience and being more comfortable with one-on-ones rather than me versus a whole class of students. After rolling up the last parchment, Auntie Minnie showed me where I would be having my classes. It was still in the dungeons, unfortunately, but in very close proximity to my office. This classroom was built as an extra classroom, but was scarcely used.

"I do have to warn you," she said, looking towards the wall.

"Severus conducts his classes right next door to you. During his tenure here, he has never had to share hallway space with someone. Please be patient with him until he gets used to you down here."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I don't think I will be that loud anyways. He will never know that I am in here," I assured her, looking around at the – my – classroom. She gave me a smile as I heard my stomach start to protest.

"Well, I assume it is time for lunch. Come now, let's join the rest of the school in the Great Hall."

* * *

I sighed in frustration, looking at the rolls of parchment strewn about on my bed.

"Where do I even start?"

How do I know what classes I should offer first? What knowledge do the students have already of my world? How do I establish a grading rubric?

This is way too much to take on. I walked out of my bedroom and stared at the fireplace.

"If there is anything you need, there is a small bag of powder atop the fireplace mantle. Just take a pinch, throw it in the fire and say 'Professor McGonagall's Office'."

I guess now is a great time to try this. I walked over to the small pouch that had the powder. It was green, and looked like sand. I dug my fingers in, pinched, and then threw it into the fire. Suddenly, green flames roared as I said, "Professor McGonagall's Office!" In a couple of seconds, Auntie Minnie's head popped through. It was like I was watching the Wizard of Oz.

"Yes dear? How can I help you?" the big head spoke.

"Auntie, I think I'm freaking out. Can you stay with me for a little bit?" She gave a nod as her head disappeared and she walked into my sitting room through the fireplace. I think I'm going to need a drink.

"What is wrong, my dear? Is it too overwhelming?" She rubbed my back as I sat on the couch. I cradled my head in my hands, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm sorry Auntie. I was looking over all the stuff for my classes and I just felt the room getting smaller." I sighed, slouching back.

"Is this ever going to get easier?" I am really hoping she would say yes.

"Mia, dear, I wish I could say yes, but I'm not quite sure of the origin of your anxiety. Certainly this was not a direct result of what happened to your parents?" Well, I must have forgotten to tell her about Lucas.

"Not exactly," I said, slowly opening the flood gates. I closed my eyes as I started to visualize what happened after my parents died.

"At mom and dad's funeral, do you remember a man named Lucas?" The older woman nodded.

"Yes, he was from your work, correct?"

"Yeah, he was my supervisor, actually. He offered me a position right after I finished college. I worked with him for about three years before mom and dad died. We had gotten close, so he wanted to come to their funeral. We started dating while you were with me. After you had left to come back here, we decided to become exclusive and officially started our relationship. He had suggested I move in with him so that I wasn't alone. I didn't want to though, so he took it upon himself to move into my home." I winced at her reaction. Mom would have done the same thing.

"Why on earth would you let someone do that?" I could feel the tears start to pool in my eyes.

"I loved him. At the time I did. Soon enough, I realized I made a huge mistake. He..." I could feel my chest constricting, and it suddenly got harder to breathe.

"He..." Suddenly I could hear his voice in my head, saying nasty things and making me feel like I was worthless. Naturally, I curled up into a ball and started crying. My vision turned black, and all I could feel was the couch beneath me and my tears streaming down. Suddenly, his face was all I could see. His slender jawline, blonde hair, and piercing eyes. He gave me that evil smirk, and I knew what was coming next. I instinctively curled even tighter into the fetal position, just waiting for that fatal blow.

But that blow never came. My vision turned black again as I felt liquid going down my throat. It was smooth, and tasted sweet like berries. There were two voices nearby, but they were muffled so I couldn't figure out who they were. My body felt so light, and I could tell someone was readjusting my position. I blinked, and felt more tears leave my eyes.

"...not normal," I managed to hear.

"She was... Lucas... Bad things." Yes, he did do bad things.

"Severe reaction... Dark magic..."

"Severus, you can't..." Professor Snape is here?

"Help her... Not right." Of course what he did was not right! Suddenly it felt like oxygen was being pushed into my lungs and I took a deep breath as I jolted into an upright position. Firm hands steadied me before I went crashing onto the floor. I blinked a couple of times while trying to steady my breath, looking back at Auntie Minnie, then at Professor Snape.

"Auntie, I am so sorry. You shouldn't have seen that," I started to say, tears threatening my eyes again.

"It was just, so bad. Lucas was a horrible man that made me do horrible things which ruined my life. Until you came back to give me this job." The older woman looked at me with sad eyes. I glanced over at Professor Snape, who seemed to be studying me. He looked focused, like he was trying to figure out something about me. I'm not sure what he's trying to figure out though. He just heard more about me than I would ever disclose to anyone. Ever.

He suddenly shook his head, then stood from his seat.

"I apologize, I assume this is supposed to be a private conversation," he said, making his way towards the fireplace.

"Thank you Severus," Auntie Minnie said, looking to the tall man. He bowed his head in respect.

"Once I have an update on our discussion, I will let you know." And with that, he left my room.

"I'm not going to risk you reacting like that again, so let's move on. What were you so upset about when you first floo'ed me?"

"Floo?" Is that what they call it when using the fireplace?

"When you used the fireplace, dear." I knew it.

"Oh, well, um... I was looking through all the things for my classes and I just don't know what I should try to teach first." I could feel my breathing getting faster, but I willed myself to stay as calm as possible.

"Well, judging by what just transpired, let's take things slow. What have you been doing to try and cope with your... situation?" I could feel her tense as she waited for my answer.

"I learned how to play the piano and I started playing the guitar more. I also started to dance."

"Hm. It seems that you're able to cope by engaging in physical pursuits."

"Playing the guitar and piano are not necessarily physical," I laughed. It felt good to laugh. Auntie Minnie chuckled at my horrible joke.

"Very funny. Well, why don't you teach a class on dancing? You surely can't accomplish your routines in here." I looked around the small sitting room. She does have a point.

"I don't know how that would be beneficial for the students. Dancing is more of an extracurricular, not really in the realm of academia." Maybe I can teach them the history of dancing? More bookwork than practical work sounds good.

"On the contrary, Mia. It would benefit them to get some physical activity in. Our Quidditch players are taken care of, but not everyone is on their house teams," she said, convincing me. I made a mental note to ask her about this Quidditch sport.

"It also benefits you," she said, laying her hand on my knee. "Teaching will certainly stress you out, but I know it will help that nasty anxiety of yours to stay out of your way." She took a breath before continuing.

"I know I was only with you for a couple of years. And I never saw you like this. I certainly don't want to see you like that again. I will do everything I can to help you get through this. I see you have been alone for way too long, and it's time for me to be the godmother you need me to be." I smiled at her, so grateful that she has taken me under her wing. She kissed me on the forehead before standing to leave.

"Classes start tomorrow. I insist you come and sit with me so you can see how I teach," she said, very matter-of-factly. I laughed, nodding.

"Sure, I'll sit in your classes tomorrow."

"Very good. Supper should be ready fairly soon. I'll see you in the Great Hall."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes:** There were 2 songs used in this chapter. The first one is "Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran ("Darling I will be loving you..." dialogue). The second one is "Photograph" by Ed Sheeran (the song immediately following, in italics).


	3. Chapter 3: Trick or Treat

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Just another warning, there is some domestic abuse in this chapter, all in the italics, feel free to skip over if you don't want to read that. There is also some language in here. It seems I've kind of fell into a rhythm of posting every couple of days, so I will try to keep that constant unless something happens. I'm actually in the process of writing chapter 6, so updating every few days or so shouldn't be a problem. Let me know how you feel about this in the reviews!

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 3:** _Trick or Treat_

* * *

The first week of classes was spent with Auntie Minnie. It was amazing watching that woman glide around the room, conducting her class like it was an orchestra. I wonder how long it took for her to teach like this. She was stern when she needed to be, but was also kind and gentle. I noticed that she was awarding and removing points from certain houses. What does that mean? The students would rejoice when she awarded points, but would slump in their chairs if she took away points. I have to remember to ask her about it later. Every day we would have breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. I was finally able to catch up with her on what has happened in the past few years, minus all the bad stuff.

We were walking through the corridors on one of her breaks when black robes suddenly appeared from around the corner and were flowing towards us.

"Minerva, a word," Professor Snape demanded, quickly glancing at me before eyeing my godmother. She sighed as she gave me an apologetic look.

"I'll be fine, I'll sit right here," I said, pointing to the ledge on my left. I turned to sit as they started walking away. Obviously it is something that is for her ears only.

I leaned back against the pillar, letting the sun hit my skin. Thank goodness I wore my trousers today and ballet flats. A slight breeze flew by, and I wrapped my blazer tighter around me in an effort to keep warm. I turned my head, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two in their conversation. They both looked very serious. Professor Snape kept glancing over my way with a very concerned expression on his face. At one point, I could see Auntie Minnie gasp, her hand covering her mouth. Must be pretty bad. I turned back to look at the students walking by. I still need to figure out my classes. Auntie Minnie's hand on my shoulder shook me out of my thoughts.

"Ready, dear?" I nodded, hopping off of the ledge.

"Is everything okay?" I hope it wasn't about me.

"For the moment, yes." She paused to think.

"The Halloween Feast is approaching. Do you have anything to wear?"

"Um, I have clothes. Is it like a costume party?" She laughed at my answer. At least the air seems lighter now.

"No, not exactly. But it is a school event, you don't necessarily have to wear your teaching attire. You are allowed to dress up a bit if you like." I thought about what I had in my wardrobe. I'm pretty sure I had something decent enough to wear for Halloween. I nodded, letting her know that I should be okay on Halloween attire. It was just about time for her next class, so we started making our way back to her classroom.

* * *

 _"I really don't feel comfortable doing this, Lucas."_

 _"Aw, is little Mia afraid I will hurt her?" His finger traced my bare shoulder down towards my chest. Goosebumps invaded my skin._

 _"No. I know you wouldn't hurt me, but I just don't think this is up my alley..."_

 _"You love me, don't you?"_

 _"Of course I do." I looked up at his piercing eyes. His hand flew right into my cheek, leaving it red and stinging._

 _"Then be a good girl, and do as I say." Tears rolled down my cheeks as he wiped them away with his thumbs._

 _"Oh, honey, don't cry. There's no need for that here." He gave me a soft kiss before blindfolding me._

 _He took off my top, then my pants. I could feel him running his hands all over my body. I shivered at his touch, aroused, yet terrified at what he would do to me tonight._

 _"It's okay baby. I know it's so new to you, but you will learn to like it." He gave me a swift slap to my bottom. I hissed at the pain, biting my bottom lip. He caressed my body, and I could feel myself melting at his touch. What was he doing to me?_

 _The night went on just like that. Pleasure. Pain. Pleasure. Pain._

 _But he always remembered to take care of me. He loved me._

* * *

My eyes popped open. Another bad dream. I looked around to make sure it really was a dream, and sure enough, I was still at Hogwarts, in my bedroom. I walked out to the sitting room with my guitar and sat on the couch as the fireplace sprung to life. Strumming familiar melodies, I closed my eyes to push my dark thoughts away. I stared at the fire, the flames dancing to the sound of the wood popping.

"You're better than this," I said to no one.

I choked back tears as I tried to steady my rapid beating heart. I looked at the clock on top of the fireplace mantle. It was barely three in the morning. I can't stay in this room right now. I went back to my bedroom to put on some sweatpants before walking out into the hallway.

After climbing up two sets of stairs I made it to the ground floor of the castle and walked towards the Entrance of the school. There was a large clearing with the pathway that lead to the large gates. The clearing was bordered by small ledges and some benches. I sat on one of the ledges and leaned up against a pillar. Looking up, I saw an eternity of stars. This is definitely something you can't see while in the city. It was so serene. I could feel my body return to normal, but my hands were jittery.

"Ms. Taylor." Here we go again. I looked up to see Professor Snape. Apparently we have a knack for bumping into each other early in the morning.

"Hello, Professor. Sorry, couldn't sleep again," I said, rather sheepishly.

"That is quite alright, considering your…circumstances." What did he mean by that? I looked at him, curious.

"What are you doing up so early in the morning?"

"I brew potions for Madame Pompfrey to use in the hospital wing. Unfortunately, the batch I was working on was ready a mere half hour ago. I was on my way back to my quarters."

"Oh. Well, I hope you get some sleep then." I turned to look at my guitar. I could feel him staring at me again. It was getting a bit uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to sit here with you." What?! Is this guy insane? I, for one, have learned to function with little to no sleep. Professor Snape, on the other hand, might need some beauty rest or else he will be extra sassy.

"Um, sure I guess. I'm not exactly a great person to be around, though." I could feel myself staring to blush for whatever reason.

"I would like to ask you about that music you were playing when I found you in the garden. I've never heard something like that before. Can you play it for me?"

I looked at him in awe. He wants me to play for him? I can't be that good. But his question seemed genuine. He did seem interested. I smiled at him as I readied my guitar.

I started playing the song and, as always, my anxiety started to disappear. I could slowly feel a warmth coming over my body. It felt like someone was pouring happiness over me, and it was covering every inch of my body. As I closed my eyes, instead of seeing black, I saw white. Instead of seeing Lucas, I saw me. A happy me.

"Wait for me to come home," I finished, looking at him. I felt like a different person. I didn't feel as burdened as I did before. This was an odd feeling. I've done this many times, but I've never felt this relieved before.

And it happened with someone. With Professor Snape, of all people. I've heard of his reputation around here, so it's surprising that he would have this effect on me. My mind was racing, trying to understand what just happened, and I could tell he was doing the same.

Before, when I would play this song, it always felt like I was just taking some of the edge off. It relieved me just enough to get me through to the next day. It would always come back though, sometimes worse than the day before. The days when Lucas would use me were the worst. I felt like I barely held onto life by a finger on those days.

But this time… it was different. The deeper I got into the song, the lighter I felt. My visions of black turned to grey, then to white. The sight of Lucas faded away as my face came into focus. I was smiling, genuinely smiling. I looked healthy and happy. The way I wanted to be.

"What was that?" I asked, thinking he would know the answer. He stared at me, studying my face. What was he looking for? I looked straight into his eyes, trying to find an answer. All of a sudden, I felt locked into his gaze. Staring into his black eyes, I suddenly felt panic, and tried to tear away. Suddenly the panic went away, and I felt safe.

"Forgive me, there are matters I need to attend to," Professor Snape said slowly. I gave him a small smile.

"It's okay. I'll probably be here for a little bit." He started to stand as I caught his arm. I could feel him stiffen at my touch.

"Hey. Thanks for listening." He nodded as I let go, and left without another word. I sighed as I looked up towards the stars again, and played another song.

* * *

A knock came to my door before I could hear the door creak open.

"Mia, dear, are you ready? It is nearly time for us to be at the Feast," Auntie Minnie asked, peeking through the door.

"Almost done, Auntie!" I hurried to put on my lipstick and grabbed a cardigan. Seeing as it was the Halloween Feast, I decided to go for something on the darker side.

I wore my black three-quarter sleeve top, a forest green skirt that hovered just above my knees, and black ankle boots. I opted for my silver bangles and my serpent necklace that I've had since middle school. My parents always liked to make sure that I knew my heritage. Being part Chinese, my mother gave me it as a gift, since I was born apparently during the year of the snake. This seemed Halloween enough. I took one last look at myself before swinging my cardigan over my shoulders and walking out.

"Well, well, Mia. You clean up pretty well," Auntie Minnie teased me. I laughed, wrapping my cardigan around me.

"Thanks, it's probably because I actually showered today," I said, throwing her joke back at her. She linked arms with me as we walked down the corridor towards the stairs.

As we walked through the huge doors into the Great Hall, I was amazed at the transformation. There were candles floating above all of the tables, and the room was decorated with pumpkins and leaves. Each table was full of food, piping hot like it just came out of the oven.

"Wow, Auntie, this is… how did you guys do all of this?" I asked, looking at the amazing view in front of me.

"The wonders of magic, dear." I looked at her with sad eyes.

"A part of me wishes I could do some of this stuff. It would have saved me a lot of work!" Auntie Minnie laughed as we sat at with the rest of the faculty.

"You would be surprised at what you are capable of, Mia. Witch or not, you are an extraordinary person." I pondered that for a moment. Extraordinary? She's asking for brownie points.

I felt a draft behind me, and I turned to see Professor Snape coming through the side door. He was, as usual, in all black, but his billowing robes were absent tonight. Instead, he had what looked like a fitted coat, buttons running down the center. His off white sleeves subtly showed and draped around his wrists. His trousers were also fitted, and he topped it off with his trademark boots. I never realized how lean he was. He was always swimming in those robes. It took me a moment to realize I was staring before I turned back around and focused on my plate.

"Good evening, Severus, glad you could join us," Professor Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling in the candlelight. The Professor grunted in return.

"I'm only here because I have to be," he replied in his flat tone, looking at the students. He seemed pretty tense. Is there something going on? I need to start paying more attention.

The night went on with no issues. Everyone was happy and eating. I somehow was able to keep up a conversation with both Auntie Minnie and Professor Snape. After that little snippet with Professor Dumbledore, he seemed to have calmed down. I never really had the chance to get to know him, but now seemed better than ever.

"What subjects do you teach?" I asked him, picking at my dinner roll.

"I am the Potions Master. Unfortunately, potions is a subject all students must take, so I have the daunting task of having all these students in my classroom at some point during their education." He sighed, shaking his head.

"Potions? I think I can relate to that." I picked at my dinner roll again. "When I was at USC, one of my majors was in Chemistry. Auntie told me a bit about how potions works while we had one of our talks here." I looked at him, curious.

"If you're okay with it, I'd love to come and sit in one of your classes. It'd be interesting to see if Potions and Chemistry are alike in any way." He stopped to think for a minute. I shied away for a second, wondering if I shouldn't have asked him at all. I looked back just in time to see a small hint of a smile on his face.

"I suppose a visitation could be arranged," he said, pushing his food around his plate. I sighed in relief. I looked back at my food, hoping my chewing would mask the smile that was invading my face.

Two plates later, I felt like I was going to burst at the seams.

"I need to start working out. I'm going to gain so much weight if I keep eating like this," I said, not really talking to anyone in particular. I could hear Auntie Minnie chuckling and Professor Snape audibly choking on something. I patted his back to try and help him dislodge the food.

"Are you all right?" I asked, handing him his pumpkin juice.

"I'm…fine..." he said in between coughs. He took a long swig of his pumpkin juice before being able to calm down. I looked over at Auntie Minnie, who was oddly still chuckling away.

Suddenly, the doors to the Great Hall flew open, and one of the professors came running down the center aisle.

"Troll! In the dungeon!" he screamed, almost tripping on himself.

"Troll! In the dungeon!" he screamed again, stopping in front of the faculty table. His face was pale.

"…I thought you should know," he managed to mumble before fainting onto the stone floor.

TROLL?! I stood, feeling the familiar tingling of my anxiety coursing through my veins. Chaos ensued, and it took Professor Dumbledore's amplified voice to calm everyone down just enough for him to give instructions. All students were instructed to return to their houses, while the faculty accompanied the Headmaster to take care of this problem. Seeing as I will be anything but useful to the team, I opted to just return to my room for the night.

"Do be careful, dear, I'll come see you once we are safe," Auntie Minnie said, holding my hands in assurance. I followed the students out of the Great Hall as the faculty came around to devise a plan to get the troll out of here.

Most of the students sounded scared. Their reactions ranged from thinking this was the end of the world to what the troll looked like, to if the troll could be controlled like a pet. I don't think I would want a troll for a pet.

As I passed a pair of bathrooms, I could faintly hear the sound of a girl crying. Was she hiding? Did she know what was going on? I stopped to listen, and figured she didn't know what was going on. I opened the door and heard her sobbing in one of the stalls.

"Excuse me? All students are being asked to return to their houses. There is an issue that needs to be taken care of," I said, my voice echoing. Suddenly, the sobs stopped, and it was quiet.

"Are you okay? I am here to help you. You don't have to be afraid of me." I walked towards the one stall that had its door closed.

"Please, it's not safe for you to be here. What is your name?" I asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

"He..Hermione Granger."

"Hello Hermione. This is Ms. Taylor. I promise I am here to help-"

My voice was cut off by the sound of loud footsteps. Those were not your normal human footsteps. Those were troll footsteps.

I tried to steady my breath, trying to keep my anxiety to a minimum for Hermione's sake. I slowly tip toed to an open stall, careful to not let the troll see me. I crawled under the stall divider and huddled with Hermione.

"Professor!" She said, clinging onto my cardigan.

"We will be okay, don't worry," I said, both to her and myself. Suddenly, we heard the troll destroying the wooden stalls. We both fell onto the floor and I instinctively threw myself on top of the girl, shielding her from the shrapnel. Unfortunately, we didn't get low enough in time, and I could feel whatever tool he was using come in contact with my back. I yelled out in pain, still shielding Hermione from the troll.

I got a glance of the troll. He was huge, almost as tall as the bathroom, an ugly green color with a head that was so disproportionate to the rest of his body. He had a large piece of wood that was the shape of a baseball bat and was sparsely covered with nails. As I saw the nails, I could start to feel the blood dripping from my back. I realized he was about to swing again, so I threw my body on top of Hermione again.

"MIA!" I heard, but my mind couldn't register who it was.

The troll swung, the nails grazing my back again. My teeth gritted as my back burned from the contact.

I'll get through this. The troll wasn't going to win. I won't let it. That second blow did something to me.

For years, Lucas used and abused me, and all I did was fall to the floor and try to hide, but he always found me. The way that Hermione was reminded me of who I used to be. I felt this need to protect her, and I got so angry with the troll for putting her in such a position. I suddenly felt this tingling feeling inside of my chest, which resonated throughout my whole body. I looked at the troll, then realized Auntie Minnie and Professor Snape were behind it, wands out and ready to attack.

"Fuck off, Troll!" I yelled, and then a blast seemed to have emanated from my body. It threw me and Hermione back, and it knocked the troll unconscious, right at their feet.

Everything was fuzzy. I rolled to my side, trying to feel for the girl.

"Hermione," I whispered, hoping she could hear me. I found her small, dainty hand and held on.

"It's okay, I'm here," I said, not quite sure if she could hear me. I needed to protect her. No one should ever feel like that.

I was falling in and out of consciousness, but I was aware enough to tell that there was a crowd of people around us. At one point I could hear Auntie Minnie, then Professor Snape, then Professor Dumbledore. I couldn't make out what they were talking about. I could feel Hermione's hand slipping away, and I started to panic.

No! They're taking her away! Lucas is taking her away!

"No!" I tried to yell, but my voice was so hoarse that I don't think she heard me. The familiar tingling of anxiety came back.

"No!" I tried to yell again as someone scooped me into their arms. I tried to push them off of me.

"Hermione!" Tears were streaming down my face.

"Calm down, Mia. You're fine. Hermione's fine," the silky voice whispered in my ear.

"She's in trouble, like I was." I grabbed onto the black coat, and looked into black eyes. I sobbed, trying to come back down to earth. I could feel the arms hold me tighter.

"Not anymore. You saved her," the voice said to me. I looked up, and all I saw was a pale face and black hair.

"I did? Is she going to be okay?" I could feel my breath start to steady.

"Yes, and you will be too," he said with finality. I sighed, and then smiled in victory.

"You lost this time, Lucas," I said before everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4: Recovery

**A/N:** Hello! Apparently today is Slytherin Pride day, so show your love for Slytherin! Draco was always my favorite, I can't even remember how long I've had the hots for him. :x. Anyways... nothing too crazy in this chapter, but there is a flashback to the troll scene that is written in 3rd person rather than the OC POV that I've been using. Just wanted to clarify that before you might get confused. Enjoy!

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 4:** _Recovery_

* * *

I'm not sure how much time has passed since the troll attack. I remember waking up once in the hospital wing. The nurse - Madame Pompfrey - was there applying some kind of ointment onto my back. I was laying on my side, and was instructed to not lay on my back unless I want to be in pain again. It still stung, but not as bad as before. When I felt her applying the ointment, it was cool to the touch, and then it started to numb the area. I noted in particular one area where she pretty much applied the ointment from one side to the other. How bad was it? After she was done, I fell back asleep.

When I woke up again, it was dark. Auntie Minnie sat in a chair next to my bed.

"Auntie," I said, groggily. "How long have you been here?"

"Not for long, dear," she replied, worry written all over her face.

"Supper just finished. How are you feeling?" She reached out and held my hand. I looked down, and I could see bruises and small cuts from the wood that hit us. I sighed, wincing at the pain coming from my back.

"I wish I could say I was fine, but I'm clearly not. Where is Hermione?" I looked around and noticed she wasn't here.

"Hermione is perfectly fine, except for some minor bruising. If it wasn't for you, she would have been in grave danger," Auntie Minnie said, squeezing my hand. I smiled, relieved that she was really okay. She looked at me for a while, and I could tell she was contemplating on asking me something.

"How bad is my back? I feel so stiff and it stings so bad," I asked, curious.

"Are you sure you want to see the extent of your injuries, Mia?" she replied. They must be bad if she's actually calling me Mia now. I had to see, though. I wanted to see.

I nodded, and with pursed lips, she waved her wand and 2 mirrors appeared, one on each side of my bed. The mirror in front of me reflected the image of the mirror behind me, which currently showed my back covered by the blanket. Auntie Minnie gingerly removed the blanket, and I could start to see all of the cuts and gashes and bruises painting my back. My eyes widened as I tried to come up to a sitting position, pain pulsating through my body with every movement. Madame Pompfrey came running to my right side as Auntie Minnie held my left side, and they both hoisted me up. There was still some dried blood in some spots, but for the most part, the cuts were healing except for the huge gash on the lower part of my back. I could see the skin coming together to become a scar, it just didn't heal as fast as the others I guess. Bruises were spread generously across my back were the cuts didn't take up space.

"That troll did some serious damage, but it was nothing I couldn't fix," Madame Pompfrey said, looking at the gash healing. It was interesting to actually see my skin moving, watching it heal on its own.

"How long have I been in here?" I asked. I couldn't stop staring at my back.

"This is the 3rd night. Assuming your last wound heals nicely, I can let you go tomorrow, but until then you are staying put," the nurse said, pointing towards my bed.

Three nights? It was that bad? How did I even get here? The last thing I remember was being thrown backwards then looking for Hermione. After that it was all a blur. I needed to know how I got here.

"Thank you Madame Pompfrey," I said as she walked away. I turned to look at Auntie Minnie.

"How did I get here, Auntie? I don't remember coming here after the attack." I rattled my brain, trying to remember, but nothing comes up. She sighed, sitting down again.

"What do you remember from that night?" I told her that I remembered following the students out while they were trying to figure out how to get the troll. When I had reached the bathroom I went inside because I heard someone, and it was Hermione. When I tried to get her to leave with me, the troll came in and that's when the chaos started. I told her the last thing I remember was lying on the bathroom floor and holding Hermione's hand, and someone picking me up and taking me somewhere, which I'm guessing now, is here.

"Then I guess I will start from there," she said, looking at me.

* * *

 _"Do be careful, dear. I'll come see you when we're safe," Minerva said to Mia, holding her hands. When Mia ran off with the rest of students, she returned her focus to the group of faculty behind her. Professor Quirrel was able to recover from his fainting spell when announcing the troll was on school grounds, and was now among the people devising a plan to thwart the troll._

 _"Certainly we don't need all of us to confront this thing!" Professor Sprout said, almost sounding frightened. A few of the other professors agreed, while Snape just rolled his eyes._

 _"Yes, I agree. I think only a few of us should go," Minerva said. She thought for a second._

 _"Myself, Snape, and Quirrel will go and assess the situation. The rest can follow just in case we need assistance." Snape gave an audible grunt._

 _"Might I ask, Minerva, why you are dragging me into this?" Snape asked, obviously looking annoyed._

 _"There's no time for that, Severus. Our students are in danger." And with that, Minerva turned on her heel and started walking out._

 _"Professor Quirrel! Where did you say you saw the troll last?" Minerva asked the stuttering professor. He started to explain that the troll was down in the dungeons, walking around aimlessly, dragging around a hunk of wood to destroy everything in its way._

 _They turned the corner and suddenly heard the footsteps of the troll coming. It was definitely not in the dungeons anymore. They scurried back behind the corner they just came around, wands out and ready. Snape lead the trio, looking around the corner and eyeing the troll walking towards them. He looked back at this colleagues and pressed his finger up to his lips, signaling them to stay quiet. He looked around the corner again, and the troll was halfway through the doorway going into the girls' bathroom. He motioned for them to follow as they quietly made their way down the corridor. Suddenly, they heard the crashing of stalls and the distinct yell of a young woman._

 _"Mia," Minerva said, all color draining from her face. She and Severus quickly made their way towards the bathroom, the troll taking another swing, and another yell came ringing through the corridor. Finally, they made it and quietly aimed their wands at the troll. Minerva was so focused on the troll that she didn't notice Mia standing there. Severus did, and grabbed Minerva's wrist to catch her attention._

 _He saw Mia standing there with determined eyes._

 _"MIA!" Severus yelled. He wasn't quite sure why he did that, but he felt fear in that moment. Fear for Mia, that something horrible would happen to her. After the night he was in her quarters with Minerva and realizing the power that could potentially reside in this woman, he took it upon himself to try and help her and figure out who she is. He genuinely didn't want anything to happen to her._

 _"Fuck off, troll!" Mia yelled._

 _And with that, everything that Severus had been speculating had been confirmed._

 _Magic exploded from Mia, and he could see the ripple effect as it left her and hit Hermione and the troll. Somehow, the magic knew not to harm Hermione, so it merely threw both of them backwards. The troll, however, was not so lucky. The magic hit it with full force, knocking the wind out of it and sending the troll flying towards the ground. By the time it got to Severus and Minerva, it was just a gust of wind that pushed them against the bathroom wall. Once it was quiet, Minerva and Severus looked at each other. Quirrel somehow managed to miss the spectacle, but came just in time to tend to the troll._

 _"You were right, Severus. She does have magic," Minerva said, quietly. She wondered how she could have missed that while watching her grow up. There were definite signs, but Mia never exhibited them. Even when she casually ran a diagnostic spell when she was of age to come to Hogwarts, there was no trace of magic at all in her body._

 _"Hermione," they heard Mia say. Both rushed over to where Hermione and Mia were laying. In the distance, they could hear Professor Dumbledore and Hagrid coming towards them. Minerva noticed Mia reaching out to Hermione, holding her hand._

 _Severus just stood there and stared and this courageous yet idiotic woman on the floor. How could she have not known she had magic? And she has a lot, by the look of it. Non-verbal spells can be complicated to even the most seasoned of witches and wizards, but Mia made it look so easy. He knew it had something to do with the Dark Magic that he sensed inside of her, but how it got there in the first place has been running him in circles._

 _"Minerva, Severus, thank you for taking care of this problem," Dumbledore said, walking towards them with Hagrid in tow._

 _"I don't think it is us you should be thanking," Severus said, looking down at Mia on the floor. Her blood was slowly starting to pool behind her back._

 _"This was Mia's doing?" Dumbledore asked, dumbfounded._

 _"It appears so, Albus," Minerva said, a million questions running through her mind._

 _"Well, I guess we will find out what happened after we take the young ladies to the infirmary. Hagrid, if you could please," Dumbledore asked the gentle giant. Hagrid nodded as he went to collect the two ladies._

 _"That won't be necessary Hagrid," Severus said, stopping him from picking up Mia. He stepped in between the giant and the unconscious girl._

 _"I will take care of her." He turned and knelt down to look at her injuries._

 _He was curious, if she had this much magic in her, what else is she capable of? He motioned for everyone to go on without him, and he would be responsible for Mia. He lifted up her shirt to see the cuts on her back. They were fresh and elevated, blood seeping out of them. He winced, wishing he could just turn her over and heal her wounds himself, but Poppy would be furious. He did notice the wounds were faintly glowing, traces of magic, like it was trying to heal the wounds on its own. He sighed, putting her shirt back down and picking her up. He was so wrapped up in looking at her that he didn't realize she was saying "no" the whole time and trying to push him out of the way._

 _"Hermione!" Mia tried to yell, but came out as a small squeak. He adjusted her in his arms as she continued to squirm._

 _"Calm down, Mia. You're fine. Hermione's fine," he whispered to her. He looked down and her face, wishing there was more he could do to calm her down. She was staring at him with frightened eyes, but he could tell she was not all there._

 _"She's in trouble, like I was," she said, grabbing onto his coat, tears streaming down her face. He held onto her tighter, hoping his embrace would put her mind at ease._

 _"Not anymore. You saved her," Severus replied, looking down at her again. Her head was resting against his chest, and he could feel her breath start to match his calm, steady beat. They turned a corner, almost to the infirmary._

 _"I did? Is she going to be okay?" Severus rolled his eyes. How could she be so worried about that foolish girl?_

 _"Yes, and you will be too," he replied, seeing the doors to the infirmary in the distance._

 _"You lost this time, Lucas," Mia finally said before resting her head firmly on his chest._

 _He had to stop to look at her shocked body. Lucas. He remembered Minerva mentioning this man's name when he came to aid her in her quarters. His brow rose as high as it could go. It was almost like pieces of a puzzle were coming together. There was only one person he knew that went by the name Lucas, and they dealt with a good amount of Dark Magic. Why didn't he realize it further? Why didn't he think of that as a possibility that night she had her attack? He would have to investigate further to see if there was even a connection, but it was the only logical reason for all of this happening. He started to walk again, faster this time, towards the infirmary._

* * *

I couldn't sleep that night, not after what Auntie Minnie told me. I used magic? I have magic? I couldn't believe it. Did my parents always know? Obviously Auntie Minnie never knew, she was just as surprised as I was. She said she would sit down with me when I'm better to figure out how I have magic. I winced as I slowly shifted from one side to the other.

 _Mia, dear._

My eyes darted around the room, trying to see where that voice was coming from. There was no one else in the hospital wing except for one student who was healing from an injury from playing a game called Quidditch.

 _Sorry baby, I couldn't be there to hold your hand while you get better. Why didn't you tell me you were a witch? I would have brought you here ages ago._

Lucas. How was he in my head? He's the last person I'd ever want to talk to! I shut my eyes, hoping it would help shut him out, too.

 _That's not how it works, I'm afraid. Now that you're here in the wizarding world, though, I'd love to get together. You left me, and I think you owe me some answers._

And like that, the voice went quiet, and didn't come back the rest of the night. My heart raced a million miles and hour. Is he here in the castle? Has he seen me since I've been here at Hogwarts? I could see his face, smiling at me. But it wasn't a genuine smile; it was one that had a hidden agenda.

I looked around one more time, just to make sure he really wasn't there, before I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

It's been about a week since I left the hospital wing, and everything was returning to normal. Lucas's voice never came back after that night.

I think the hardest part of this recovery process was trying to take care of my wounds. Auntie Minnie had to come down to my room every night to apply the ointment on my back. Most of my cuts and bruises have fully healed, with the exception of the big gash on my lower back. That one took a little time, but it's just about fully healed. Auntie said this would probably be the last time I would need the ointment.

My first two days back I stayed in my room, laying down in bed or sitting in front of the fireplace. I was too exhausted to do anything. By day three I was able to get out and walk around the castle grounds a little bit. Classes were still in session, and some of the students would look at me while they passed me in the corridor. Hermione found me in one of the corridors to thank me for what I did.

"I don't know what would have happened If you didn't come to look for me," she said, looking down at the floor.

"Don't mention it. It's part of my job to make sure you guys are safe. I'd never let anything bad happen to you guys," I said, feeling a bit sheepish. It was true, though. I may not know any of the students here (yet), but any harm directed towards them would have to come through me first. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Thank you, professor. I'll never forget it," she said, looking over at her two friends. One of them was Harry Potter and I don't know who the redhead was.

"Sorry, professor, but I must be going. Harry, Ron and I have class soon and we cannot be late." I nodded as she ran off with her friends.

Well, that was something new to ponder. I'll have to get used to people calling me Professor. Professor Taylor has a nice ring to it. I smiled to myself as I walked back to my room to work on my syllabi. The rest of the school seems to be going back to normal, so I should try my best to go back, too.

As I closed my door, the fireplace came to life, flames dancing up into thin air. The rolls of parchment laid on the table in front of the couch. I went over to my small kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee. I'm going to need it if I want to get knee deep in this teaching stuff.

Being able to immerse myself into my teaching material helps distract me from thinking about what happened. I hope that was a total fluke, and I sure as hell don't want him finding me here. I opted to sit on the floor instead of sitting of the couch to do my work. I took the rolls of parchment and lay them in front of me. Seeing as I deal with stress on an almost daily basis, I thought it would be wise to have my first class on muggle (that's the correct term, right?) stress relievers. These students must go through stress by coming to school here. Some students have even enrolled into extra classes. Layer on the weekly exams and NEWTs and OWLs that Auntie Minnie mentioned. That's a whole lot to be stressed about. I turned around towards the desk and grabbed the black notebook that I specifically bought to use for my classes. Inside was my favorite pen: a silver ballpoint pen with the words "Dr. Grip" printed on the side. I opened up to the first page and started writing my first lesson plan.

Five pages in and two cups of coffee later, my fireplace suddenly turned green. I looked up to see Auntie Minnie walking through.

"Hello, my dear. I see you've found some inspiration for your teaching," she said, eyeing my notebook. I smiled, looking up at her from the floor. She stayed for about an hour to help me with my lesson plan. It was like I was with my mom again, her sitting next to me while I explained to her what I wanted to do. She had me make some changes here and there, but she overall was very impressed with what I wanted to do. It's times like these I could see how close my mom and Auntie Minnie were. I could tell what mannerisms Auntie got from mom, and I could also see what mom got from Auntie. It's pretty hilarious, but it's good to have something that's like home.

It was close to supper when Auntie Minnie turned to leave.

"I'll see you in the Great Hall shortly," she said, grabbing some of the green powder. I waved to her as I started putting my notebook and rolls of parchment away.

"Oh, and by the way," she said, turning back. "Severus has come to me with your request about visiting his class. He says you can stop by next week." She gave me that smirk that told me she was up to something. My mom gave that look sometimes to my dad when she was up to something, too.  
"That's great! I'm really excited. I think we will get along," I replied, setting my cup down into the sink. Auntie Minnie chuckled.

"I have yet to see him 'get along' with anyone. The most that man might do is tolerate us." She stopped to think. "Then again, he seems to have some interest in you."

"Wait, what? Auntie-" I couldn't even finish my thought and she was out the fireplace. I shook my head. She's exactly like mom.


	5. Chapter 5: Anything Can Happen

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I have another warning for this chapter (I didn't realize how often this is happening, maybe I should put it in the story summary as well...) for some domestic abuse. It all happens in the set of text in italics, just after this first blurb. As always, feel free to skip over if it's not your cup of tea. :) Happy reading! And if I don't get to post again this weekend, I hope everyone has a great Easter holiday!

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 5:** _Anything Can Happen_

* * *

The weekend went by pretty quick. Most of my time was spent in my room, drafting lesson plans and revising them. Auntie Minnie came by a couple of times, but I was mostly to myself. When I wasn't working on my plans I was at my piano, clearing my mind and relieving the stress that came with becoming a new teacher. On Sunday, I decided to take a walk around the school grounds again. Most of the students were out and relaxing or working on schoolwork that are due. I passed by the garden again, now remembering where it was at.

It was finally starting to get easier being here. As each day passes, it feels like this is where I should be. It felt nice, knowing there's is a place somewhere for me. The sun was starting to set as I started making my way back to my room. As I was walking down the corridor to my room, I could see Professor Snape leaving his office. I smiled at him as he watched me walk over to him.

"Hello, Professor," I said, waving at him. He nodded in return

"Good evening, Ms. Taylor," he said, looking at me with those eyes.

"Mia, please. Call me Mia." I never liked being called Ms. Taylor. It was always Mia. He seemed taken aback at my correction, but he seemed to relax a little.

"Very well. I was actually going to hand you this," he said, handing me a piece of parchment and a book. The parchment had a handwritten schedule, which I assumed were his office hours that he never gave me. The book, _Magical Drafts and Potions_ , looked definitely worn in. I flipped through the pages, realizing it was a book on potions, complete with instructions on how to make a few of them. This was amazing! I wanted to run to my room and start reading.

"I recall you mentioning that your degree in Chemistry could be relatable to potions, so I thought you might find some interest in this textbook. All first years are required to have this for my class," he paused as I looked at him, smiling.

"This is amazing, I can't wait to get into this book. Thank you, professor," I said, still flipping through the book. I felt a small breeze as his robes billowed passed me. I turned to watch him walk away.

"My class starts at 8 tomorrow morning. Don't be late," he said before turning the corner. I shook my head as I continued my return to my room. The rest of my night was spent burying my nose in the potions book.

* * *

 _"_ _Why does it have to be like this?" I asked him, tears streaming down my face. I had quite a few bruises on me already, and my lip was bleeding. I don't even remember why we were fighting in the first place; I just remember him getting angry and landing punches on me._

 _"_ _Because you don't know how to listen, dear," Lucas said, frustrated. "If you knew how to listen, I wouldn't have to do this."_

 _Whack! A swift back hand landed on my cheek. My face was going numb._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, just tell me how to make it better," I said, my voice so small I could barely hear myself. He looked at me, as if he was contemplating something. He held my face level with his, hand at my chin. I looked straight into his eyes, pleading for forgiveness and mercy. I'm not sure how much more I could handle. He started to kiss me softly, and I winced from the cut on my lips._

 _He stood back to look at me, his thumb running across the cut. He seemed sad, almost guilty of what he had done to me. This wasn't the first time, though. He ran the back of his fingers across my cheek as I melted into his touch. How does he do this to me?_

 _"_ _I have to get going soon, my dear. Do you know how you could make this better?" Lucas said, inching closer, wrapping his arms around my waist. I looked up at him, scared of what he would do, but excited at what could possibly come next. I wrapped my arms around his neck, nuzzling into his chest. Suddenly, he picked me up, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me to the bed._

 _"_ _Show me, after everything I've done, that you still love me."_

* * *

I ran my fingers across my lips, thinking about the dream that I had last night. I can't believe after all this time I'm still thinking about that. I wrapped my blanket around me tighter, sighing at my ability to not sleep. I wonder if there will ever be a time where I will finally be over all of this. It feels like Lucas was so long ago, yet he's still here now. It's almost like something in me doesn't want to let him go. I looked over at the mantle, trying to distract myself from my thoughts. It was almost six in the morning. I figured I can take my bath now so I can be early to Professor Snape's class this morning.

I walked into the bathroom and turned on the water, then walked back out to retrieve a bath bomb and a bath fizzer. My baths were never complete without these two things. By the time I got back, the tub was just about full, so I turned the water off, and threw the two balls inside. They both started to dissolve almost immediately, one turning the water purple and making the room smell like lavender, and the other making bubbles. I stripped myself of my pajamas then sunk myself into the bathtub, welcoming the sting of the hot water. I tied my hair up into a high bun; I'll take care of that when my bath is done. I took a big whiff of the smell of lavender, letting the aroma relax my mind and my body. Humming a familiar tune, I focused on the hot water surrounding my body, letting it calm every aching muscle.

This was probably the most relaxed I have felt in a long time.

I knew it was time for me to get out when the water started to feel cold. Once all the water was drained, I used the shower head to wash my hair and the bubbles off of my body. It was seven by the time I was out and getting dressed. I opted for a black long sleeve, black skirt, and pumps. I didn't feel like dealing with my hair today, so I just threw it back up into a high bun while it was still wet. I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Too much black," I said out loud. I rummaged through my jewelry and decided to wear my pearl studs and my serpent necklace. My makeup was pretty standard, but in an effort to put some color, decided on my red lipstick for today.

Seven forty-five. Perfect. I grabbed my notebook, _Magical Drafts and Potions_ , and my pea coat before leaving my room. The door to both his office and his classroom were still locked. I leaned my back against the stone wall, one foot propped up, and started reading the text book.

"Wolfsbane, asphodel, bezoar? This is bizarre," I mumbled myself, reading through the list of ingredients that could be used to make a potion. Apparently, potions also use scarab beetles and snake fangs. I shivered at thought of having to use such things. I read on, studying all the properties of the ingredients and what they could do. There are certainly differences between Potions and Chemistry, but the concept is pretty much the same. As I turned the page to read about a potion called Amortentia, I could see Professor Snape out of the corner of my eye, rounding the corner.

"Good morning, Mia," Professor Snape greeted me as I looked up from the book. He was a lot more menacing in teaching robes.

"Morning, Professor," I said, tilting the book towards him. "This is a great read, I haven't been able to put it down." He smirked, turning to open the classroom door.

"Have you concluded if there is any relation between Potions and Chemistry?" he asked, walking towards the front of the class. He waved his hand and a stool appeared next to his chair, and offered said stool to me. He eyed every step that I took, and waited patiently for me to answer. I sat down before answering.

"The concepts are essentially the same, the only difference I've seen so far is the ingredients being used and the equipment needed. This is all so fascinating, I think I would learn this pretty quick," I said, may be sounding a little too eager. I looked up, and I could tell that he was impressed with what I had to say. I made a mental note to lend him one of my chemistry books that I had brought with me, and let him decide for himself.

He crossed his arms as he eyed me. "I do have a break after the morning class. If you wish, you may stay and take a look around," he said, walking around his desk and sitting in his chair.

"I would really like that. Thank you," I told him, grateful for letting me invade his personal space. I wonder if this is what Auntie Minnie meant by "tolerating". He nodded, then waved his hand towards the door. It flew open and students started pouring in.

Professor Snape's teaching methods are very different from Auntie Minnie. For one, he does not take anyone's crap. Good for him, but I think it scares the students a little. He gives points when students respond correctly, but will not hesitate to take them away if they are incorrect. It seems pretty effective though, considering the subject. I remember when I was taking my upper division classes and having professors just as tight lipped as Professor Snape. Some of the ingredients we would handle could prove to be volatile and even deadly if it was misused. I would assume the same consequences could happen if potions weren't made correctly. For this particular class, the morning session was their lecture, so the whole time the students were taking notes while Professor Snape presented on different ingredients and their potential uses. I probably paid just as much attention as the students, feeling the need to understand everything Professor Snape was spewing out at his students.

It also gave me a chance to spend some time with this mysterious Professor. There was something about him that I found…intriguing. I do agree, he was pretty intimidating, but I think that's just because of the nature of his expertise. He's passionate about potions, there's no doubt about that. He reminds me of when I was getting my Chem Degree. My parents told me I had a fierce passion for the subject, and weren't surprised when I decided to take it at USC. I graduated with highest honors, and that took a lot of blood, sweat and tears. He's probably spent mores years in Potions than I have in Chem. There's much to learn from him. Other than his obvious passion for Potions, there's not much else he has given away. He seemed like a very private man. I don't blame him, though; I'd rather keep my life private, too. It would be safer that way for everyone.

The last half hour, Professor Snape allowed the students to work on a homework assignment. They worked in silence as he walked around the room, surveying their work. I continued to read through the textbook while doodling diagrams of random molecules and completing half of the periodic table. When Professor Snape was done making his rounds, he came around me, eyeing my doodles before he sat back down. He never took his eyes off the page. I knew I caught his attention with all the different molecular structures floating on the page and the oddly organized boxes containing abbreviations. He looked at me, curious, and I gave a small smile in return.

As if we were two students sitting next to each other, I wrote him a note.

 _I have a few Chemistry books in my room. You can borrow them if you're interested._

I passed the piece of paper to him, our fingers brushing against each other as he took it from me. I watched as he unfolded the note and making a quick glance at the class to make sure they were still doing their work. It was funny watching him slowly opening the note; it was like he was trying to be sneaky about it. I had to stifle a laugh as he finally had it fully opened and was reading it. I shook my head as I completed the periodic table. I can't believe I know that whole thing by heart, but I guess that comes with the territory. I took a look at the class, some of the students were already anxious to leave. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something floating. I looked back to see the parchment floating mid-air towards me, and then landing perfectly in the center of my notebook.

I looked at him, telepathically saying "Really?" to him (although he probably didn't get it) while I unceremoniously opened the note.

 _I would quite enjoy that._

"Don't forget, your essays are due next session, there will be no exceptions. You are dismissed," he bellowed out to the class. The second he finished the word "dismissed", the students quickly gathered their belongings and rushed out of the room. As the door swung closed, I finally let out the laugh that's been sitting in my gut.

"No wonder the students are so scared of you," I said, trying to catch my breath. I got up and walked around the classroom, letting my fingers graze over the wooden desks.

"On the contrary, Ms. Taylor, if I don't conduct my class the way that I do, what's to say those dunderheads will blow a hole through the room?" he retaliated, raising an eyebrow. I turned to him with my own eyebrow raised.

"I already told you once, Mia will do fine. Ms. Taylor is too formal." I shivered, just saying Ms. Taylor. I noticed at one end of the classroom there was a large cupboard. Without asking, I just opened it, finding different ingredients and various tools that I assume are used when making a potion. I recognized some of the names on the bottles from reading about them in the book.

"That would be the student supply cabinet. I keep it well stocked, especially on days when students have their practicals," Professor Snape said, walking to me with his hands behind his back. He stood behind me as I perused the student supply cabinet. There were 2 shelves full of ingredients, a storage bin for extra cauldrons, and another, smaller bin for rods. There was also a drawer with different utensils that you can use on the ingredients. It was very neat and well organized, just the way I like it. I heard him take one step closer to me.

"I also keep my own private storeroom that has infinitely more than what is stored in here, if you'd like to take a look," he said, almost teasing me. Oh, what science can do to a woman like me. I turned and caught him with one of those mischievous smirks. He led me through a side door that opened into what looked like an office. Behind the desk, there was a small door. He opened it and let me in, and I couldn't help but look at everything with my mouth wide open.

The room was almost filled up to the ceiling with shelves, some with potions already made and some with ingredients, waiting to be used. I leaned against one of the counters, looking at the different potions that were already shelved. Amortentia, Calming Draught, Blood-Replenishing Potion, and more were just on one shelf. You can't do this with even some of the safer elements. Everything had to be done in a lab, but here, it was right at his fingertips. I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't in the slightest bit jealous. As I snaked my way around the three walls full of ingredients and potions, I found myself wanting to learn how to make this stuff. It would be nice to have my own little storage of potions if I ever needed it. I turned to look at him with curious eyes.

"Will you teach me how to make one?" I asked, hopeful that he would say yes. I think I've passed the "tolerable" stage with him. Take that, Auntie Minnie!

He looked at me for a second before looking around and grabbing a few ingredients off of the shelves. Dried nettles, snake fangs, horned slugs, and porcupine quills. I followed him as we walked back into the classroom.

"Cure for Boils. Simple first year potion. I assume with someone that has an equivalent of a Masters could easily procure this," he said, laying the ingredients on the table. I walked over to his desk to pick up the textbook and flipped to the page containing the instructions on how to make this potion. I quickly skimmed through, realizing I can't do half of the requirements because, one, I don't have a wand, and two, I don't know how to do magic. On Halloween, I apparently did, but I certainly don't know how to do it now. I looked at him, exasperated.

"You do realize I can't do half of the steps in here, right? Unless you want to do all the magic for me," I said, tilting my head toward him. He gave an unsatisfied grunt.

"I suppose I can assist you," he said flatly. He handed me a mortar and pestle and I began to prepare the ingredients for the cauldron.

* * *

By Friday, I was able to brew two potions at the same time while working on a third. Granted, all of the potions were fairly simple in his eyes, but he claims I am catching on faster than his third and fourth years.

Professor Snape would be a great lab partner. It was almost like we were in sync with each other, and we never bumped heads. It felt more like we were feeding off of each other's energy, bouncing our thoughts off of one another. It has been a while since I've had a colleague like that. The one only one that ever came close was Maddie, but she got an offer at a better company, and no one ever came to fill her place.

"Sleeping Draught is ready," I said, taking one last look at the cauldron before moving on to a larger one that contained Blood-Replenishing potion. He tasked me to bottling these for the hospital wing while he tended to my concoction.

"Very impressive, Mia," he said, waving his wand. "Once you're able to be in control of your magic, you will be efficient in brewing potions."

I frowned at the mention of my magical abilities. How come I never knew I had them? Did I always have them? There were so many thoughts running through my mind about this. Of course I wanted to learn, but where do I begin? I was taken out of my thoughts when I heard the Professor snort.

"If only the students had even a quarter of your brain, it would make this place more…tolerable."

I failed to hide my own snort, and he turned to look at me with that impeccable eyebrow raised. I blushed as I looked away, putting on the stoppers on the vials.

"Sorry, that just reminded me of something Auntie Minnie told me a while back," I quickly said, trying to end the conversation there. He sauntered over to me, arms crossed across his chest. I looked at him with mischievous eyes.

"Just curious," I started, facing him, arms also crossed. "Would you say that I am…tolerable?" It was really hard to not laugh as I said the word, but I was able to get through it without sounding garbled. I pursed my lips, trying to hide my smile.

Snape leaned against the table before answering. "If you have to ask, I think you are more than tolerable. I have come to…enjoy your company," he said, eyeing me. Well, this got awkward. I could feel my blush and my smile giving me away, so I turned and started gathering the potions for Madame Pompfrey, trying to distract myself.

"I think I enjoy your company, too," I said, taking a quick look at him. It was quiet for a couple of minutes before Snape cleared his throat.

"Slytherin's first Quidditch game is this afternoon. Would you like me to accompany you to the pitch?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, that would be great," I said, my blush invading my cheeks again. He gave me a comforting smirk, which helped me relax a bit. At least I'm not the only one feeling sheepish, I guess. I grabbed the basket of potions before making my leave.

"I'll take these over to Madame Pompfrey for you before I go and change for the game. I'll meet you back here?" I asked, reaching the door.

"As you wish," he said, nodding. I'm glad we're getting along. I gave him one last smile before leaving his classroom.

* * *

I knocked on his office door, ready to go watch my first game of Quidditch. I am actually very excited to watch this game. After Auntie and another professor (Sprout I think was her name) told me everything there was to know about the game, all there was left to do was go and watch one for myself. I changed from my teaching attire to a pair of jeans and a green top that flew with the wind. I opted for my leather jacket today, seeing as nothing else really matches this top. My hair went down into a side ponytail for the rest of the day.

"Enter," I heard him say, and I walked through the door. He was standing by his desk, wrapping a scarf around himself. He also opted to not wear his teaching robes, but for one that is a bit thicker. I eyed his warmer outerwear and weight it against mine.

"May be it's time for me to get warmer clothes. And the proper teaching attire," I said, looking at my jacket. Snape eyed my outfit before responding.

"Minerva can simply apply a warming charm to your wardrobe, unless you're so eager to wear robes, then be my guest." I turned to look at him as I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets. If I didn't know any better, it would seem that Snape was throwing a compliment my way. Assuming he rarely gives out compliments, I'll just run away with it.

"I didn't know my wardrobe was Snape-approved. I'll have to let Auntie Minnie know to apply those charms right away!" His mouth dropped opened, but then closed once he realized what he was doing. He took out his wand, and with a swift flick, I could feel my clothes keeping me warm. He shook his head before leading me out of his office.

The walk to the pitch was quiet, but it was nice to go with someone. I would have gotten lost if I went on my own. We did receive a few looks from students and some of the staff, probably because they aren't used to seeing Snape walking with anyone to go anywhere. Once we passed the outer walls of the castle, I had to stop to take in the sight of the arena. The pitch almost reminded me of a football or soccer stadium, except it was shaped in a long oval with a set of 3 hoops on the left and right side. There were several towers surrounding the arena, each decorated in a different house color. After walking down the path and into the entrance, we made a right and went three towers down to the faculty seating. I was winded by the time we got to the top.

"Auntie!" I said, waving to her as I walked her way. She smiled as she gave me a peck on the cheek.

"Hello dear, are you ready for your first game of Quidditch?" I nodded, excited. I turned to see that Snape did not follow me; he is sitting two rows up from where I was at. I turned back to Auntie Minnie.

"Do you mind if I, um-" She raised her hand, almost encouraging me to go.

"It's absolutely fine, dear. You go have fun. Besides," she paused to eye Snape. "Today's game is Gryffindor versus Slytherin. As the students say, I shouldn't 'fraternize with the enemy'." She kissed me goodbye as I climbed up to sit next to Snape.

The game started, and Snape walked me through what was happening during the game. I didn't even have to ask him this time, he just did it, which was nice. Students in green were Slytherin – his house. Students in burgundy were Gryffindor – Auntie Minnie's house. The one in black robes and goggles was Madame Hooch, the referee. Eventually, Gryffindor scored first, and Snape grunted, dissatisfied that his house was not playing at their best. I could see Auntie Minnie raising her fist in triumph as Gryffindor scored again. Suddenly, one of the Slytherin students had the ball, and they were flying towards the hoops.

"Do it, Flint, if you know what's good for you," Snape said under his breath. I looked at him, surprised. I never pegged him for being a sports kind of guy.

The bludgers were flying in crazy criss-cross directions, obliterating everything in their path. They knocked down a couple of players, but Snape said that is common and to not be worried. Both of our heads turned towards a certain Gryffindor player. His broom seemed to have a life of its own, whipping left, then right. It nearly knocked him out of the air.

"Potter!" Snape said, looking at him wide eyed. Harry Potter! He stared at the boy with his piercing eyes and started muttering something. I don't think this would be considered a normal occurrence in a game of Quidditch. I looked at Snape, then to Harry, then back at Snape again. I wish there was something I could do to help.

A few minutes passed by and Snape was still attempting to save Harry from a very nasty fall. Suddenly, I could smell something burning. I tipped my nose to the air, smelling to see where it came from. My eyes landed on the floor next to Snape.

"Professor! Your robes!" I yelled, stepping over him and trying to put out the fire. Everyone around us backed away, trying to not catch on fire as well. It took both of our feet to put it out, but at least it didn't reach to his trousers. It took us a minute to realize we were in each other's arms, but when we did, we looked at each other with wide eyes before separating and sitting back down. Harry ended up catching the golden snitch, safe and sound. Snape let out a sigh, part disappointed that his house lost, but part relieved because Harry was safe.

Who was trying to sabotage the game in the first place? I guess anything can happen in the wizarding world.


	6. Chapter 6: Misery Loves Company

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good Easter weekend. :) I wanted to try and delve a little deeper into the relationship between Minerva and Mia, and also trying to move along the relationship with Snape, so here's my go at it. Let me know what you think!

* * *

 **Chapter 6** : _Misery Loves Company_

* * *

"Mia, dear, wake up." I felt a hand gently awaken me from my pleasant dream. Go figure - the one time I get a good night of sleep, I am awaken by someone other than me.

"Mia, I have something to show you," Auntie Minnie said. Groggily, I threw the covers off of myself and sit up, trying to wake up the rest of my body.

"It's Saturday. Why are you waking me up so early?" I rubbed my eyes, breaking up the crust that was keeping my eyes from opening. I noticed the excitement on her face. She didn't want to spoil it, but I knew it had to be something good. I finally willed myself to get out of bed and get dressed. She told me to dress warm, so I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweater, then followed her out of my room.

"When you were younger, we used to do this all the time with your father," she said, leading me up the stairs and out of the dungeon. As we rounded the corner, the familiar tingling of the cold covered my face.

This could only mean one thing.

The first snow has fallen!

My eyes grew wide as I looked at the fresh snow that fell overnight. It was still lightly snowing, white powder flowing freely onto the ground. All of the memories I had of the three of us came flooding into my mind. I miss our vacation home. Dad and Auntie Minnie would make snowmen, snow angels, snow anything with me while mom was in the house making hot chocolate and snicker doodle cookies. Dad would pull me around in the sled while Auntie would playfully throw snowballs at dad. I distinctly remember one time when she hit him square in the face, and I fell off of the sled because I was laughing so hard. Those were good times. I wish I had more of those. I turned to look at Auntie Minnie, tears on the verge of falling. I hugged her tight, letting the tears fall when she couldn't see my face. She wrapped her arms around me in a motherly embrace.

"I remember how much you loved the snow, and those days I spent with you are some of my most cherished memories," she said, stroking my hair. She pulled me back to look at my face, and gently wiped a tear that fell from my eye. I was speechless. It's been so long since I felt anything close to a mother be with me.

"Well, shall we?" she said, taking out her wand and with a quick flick she charmed our clothes to stay warm and dry. She reached out for my hand, and I took it as we walked into the snow.

I felt like a kid again, balling up snow and throwing it up in the air. I listened to my boots crunch while I walked into the snow, leaving a trail of my footprints behind me. The snow was so white and so fluffy. I walked over to the tree in the middle of the yard and ran around it. I looked at the branches that stuck out, little piles of snow gathered on each branch.

 _Whack!_

Snow shouldn't be hitting my face at that speed. I looked around to see Auntie Minnie balling up some snow.  
"It's on!" I yelled, trying to hide behind the tree as I grabbed some snow.

"I don't know if you remember dear, but your father said I had a good arm," the older woman said, lobbing another snowball my way. I was able to dodge it before throwing one and hitting her straight in the chest.

"I do, but now I'm older and wiser," I said, flashing her a mischievous smile. She laughed, dusting off the snow from her robes. I ran over towards a bench and dove behind it, letting the snow fall on my neck and melt down my back. As cold as it was, it felt great. Unfortunately, I decided to get up at the wrong time as another snowball hit me in the face. I could hear Auntie Minnie laughing while she hid on the other side of the tree.

As stealthily as I could, I made a snowball and crept around the tree. Luckily, she turned the other way, allowing me to meet her face to face before hitting her with my last snowball.

"Victory!" I yelled, making fake cheering noises. Auntie Minnie held her hands up in fake defeat. I could tell this won't be the last time we will battle in the snow. She brought me in for a hug again.

"I think it's time for breakfast. Shall we?" she asked, leading me back into the corridor. I nodded as we made our way to the Great Hall to eat.

We were the last of the faculty to arrive for breakfast. Snape was already there, almost halfway through his plate. I smiled at him as I sat down and started to fill my plate. I could tell he was eyeing me since the moment I stepped into the hall. I paid him no attention, though. I was starving due to our impromptu morning snowball fight. I shoved a piece of potato in my mouth before looking at him.

"What?" I asked, chewing on the potato. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again to rethink.

"I never knew you could be so... casual... with your attire," he said. What's wrong with sweats and a sweater? The man has seen me in less than this, unfortunately, and he chooses to say something about this?

Men. I'll never understand.

"Auntie Minnie woke me up and told me to dress warm. This was what I come up with when I'm half asleep," I replied, inhaling the scrambled eggs. He eyed me with interest again.

"Fascinating. I also have never seen you so aggressive with your food. Let me guess, this was also Minerva's doing," he drawled.

I waved my fork at him. "If there's one thing I learned, it's to never ever challenge Minerva McGonagall to a snowball fight."

We spent the rest of the breakfast hour talking about my progress with the potions I've been brewing. I've learned quite a bit from him, so much that he's beginning to trust me more on my own when helping him with potions for Madame Pompfrey. He asked if I would be able to stop by today to help with the brewing, but unfortunately I had to decline for today. Auntie Minnie and I planned to spend the day together, clocking in some well needed girl time and to do some shopping before I start my classes. He seemed to be bummed that I had to skip out on today, but he seemed relieved that I was going out to do something.

It's only been several weeks since we have started to see each other on a regular basis, but I would have to say that I do consider Snape as a friend. I think having the common denominator of science in our blood helps. I've even told him a few stories of adolescent me and how I always loved playing with my chemistry sets at home. In return, he's told me stories of his students during his time here as a Potions Master, reminiscing on some of the more memorable students who almost blew up his classroom. The last time I have ever spent this much time with some (let alone a man) was when I was with Lucas, but my time with the Professor can't be compared to that. I actually – really – enjoyed spending time with him.

I've tried to keep my anxiety at a minimum while I was around him, but there were some times when it would just randomly come and go, probably because of the potions I was attempting to brew. I was starting to attempt more complicated potions, which required more work. Several times he's had to calm me down and regulate my breathing. He was a good friend - he never asked questions, he was just there when I needed him. He seemed to have so much patience with me, something I never had luck finding in a man. I was so grateful for that, and for him.

He offered to walk me back down the dungeons so I could get ready for my outing with my godmother. Before leaving, I gave Auntie a quick peck on the cheek, and I told her I'll meet her in her room after I'm done getting ready. Snape held the door open for me as I walked through.

"I heard we're going on Holiday soon. Do you have any plans?" I asked him, shoving my hands into my pockets. He shook his head.

"I usually stay to finish grading and to continue brewing. I don't have family I wish to spend the Holidays with." I frowned at his answer. No one should be alone for the holidays. I made a mental note to get him a nice Christmas gift while I'm out shopping today. He looked at me, probably sensing the awkwardness around us.

"How about you? This is your first Holiday at Hogwarts. Will you be staying in as well?"

"I believe so. Auntie Minnie is staying here. As far as I'm concerned, the only people that I would want to spend Christmas with are here in this castle." Those people being Auntie Minnie and Snape. We rounded the corner and went down the stairs that led to our rooms. We passed his as he escorted me to mine.

"Sorry I can't be there today. I can be there tomorrow, though," I said, smiling at him. He nodded, satisfied.

"There's no need to apologize. You deserve it, after what you've been through in your first few months here," he said, resting his hands behind his back. He bowed respectfully before turning on his heel to retreat to his room. I watched as he walked away before opening my door.

* * *

We started our trip in London, visiting some stores to expand my wardrobe. I also stopped by a music store to pick up some new guitar strings and extra picks. We had lunch before returning to the wizarding world to pick up magical items that I would need for teaching. She took me to this place called Diagon Alley. This is where all the students go when they need to buy school supplies. Since I am brand new to this world, she insisted that I pick up everything a first year would have to pick up for school, minus the textbooks. Our first stop was a place called Ollivanders. It was a small shop, but the walls were filled with small boxes from floor to ceiling. There was one desk and 2 small hallways. An older man came out of one of the hallways to greet us.

"Garrick, my friend," Auntie greeted him. The two shared a quick hug before he looked at me.

"Is this her, Minerva?" He asked, studying me. She nodded, eyeing the shelves full of boxes.

"Yes, and she needs a wand. This is her first time here in the wizarding world." Garrick looked at me surprised before offering his hand to me.

"I am Garrick Ollivander. Almost every student at Hogwarts has received their wand through me. I can assure you, there is one in here made just for you. It's just a matter of finding out which one is calling for you."

I smiled. "Mia Taylor. Thank you." I wasn't really sure how to respond to the man who would be choosing my wand. This was making it more real now. I'm going to have my own wand! I can do my own magic! Sure, it will take some time, but it will be exciting once I'm able to do it on my own.

Mr. Ollivander stepped back to take a look at me. He then started to slowly pace around the room, eyeing his inventory of wands. After a few minutes, he decided on climbing the ladder behind his desk to reach for a box that was 4 shelves up. He opened the box to reveal one the many wands in his shop. He took the wand out of the box and let me hold it. It was a light brown color, probably almost eight or nine inches in length. There was a ring of gold around the handle. Mr. Ollivander instructed me to focus on the empty box on the floor.

"Imagine yourself making that box float. When you're ready, give your wand a flick and see if you can make that box float." I nodded as I stared at the box. I visualized it lifting from the ground before I flicked my wrist. Instead of the box floating, it exploded. Both I and Auntie Minnie jumped back. "Definitely not the one," Mr. Ollivander said, taking the wand back and placing it back into its box.

Three wands and numerous box explosions later, we finally found the one wand that didn't make my box go kaboom. It was an eleven inch wand, made from black walnut wood with a Phoenix feather core. Not sure what that meant, he did mention that the wands usually choose the witch or wizard, depending on who they are and what attributes the have. I guess I was the chosen one for this wand. Auntie graciously paid for my wand before leaving to visit another store.

We entered just about every store in Diagon Alley. Besides my wand, I now have quills, ink, parchment, some knick knacks for my desk, and the ever-so-trusting teaching robes. I opted for something that would let me be unique. I never knew there many styles of teaching robes. I opted for one that hung on me almost like my graduation gown, but it only had one button that rested right in between my collarbones.

We only had one more stop to make, but we were both going to different places. We agreed to meet in front of Ollivanders once we were done. I strolled along the street, looking for a place where I can buy Christmas presents. I knew Auntie Minnie loves truffles, so I walked into the candy store and bought some to give her for Christmas. Buying a gift for Snape was hard. Not exactly sure what he likes, or if he's really ever received gifts from his colleagues before. I found a small shop called Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. I walked in, looking at the never ending walls of potion supplies and ingredients. I could be in this store forever. They had ingredients I haven't even read about in the books I have borrowed. My eyes landed on a set of potion brewing tools. The tools were a jet black with silver trimming, resting in a simple box. This will be perfect! I took the set to the front and paid, relieved that I was able to find something for my new friend.

I still had some time before I had to meet Auntie in front of the wand shop, so I entered a jewelry store nearby. Maybe one day I'll be able to indulge myself and buy something for myself here. My eyes were set on a necklace that laid next to matching earrings. The shopkeeper said the necklace was make of white gold and diamonds, my two favorite things to wear. He took it out of the display case for me to drool over. It was in the shape of two infinity symbols, intertwined with each other. The larger infinity was covered in green diamonds – my favorite color. The smaller infinity laid perfectly inside the larger one, a simple silver color with one round diamond resting on the inner curve. It was beautiful.

"Yes, it is such a beautiful necklace," a menacing voice replied right next to my ear. My hair stood on end as I came to realize who that voice belonged to. I turned slowly to face the blonde man looking hungrily at me.

"Lucas," I said, flatly. I needed to be brave. I was terrified, but I needed to be brave if I wanted to get over this – get over him. I stood straighter, raising my chin to him. I balled my hands into fists so he wouldn't see them shaking.

"My dear, how I've missed you so. I didn't think I would have run into you here. You look beautiful."

I knew those words were lies. I knew his tricks. I swore to myself I would never fall for a man like him again.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, starting to feel my anxiety run through my body.

"Errands, until I found you," he said in a dark tone. He took my hands in his. My bravery was gone, now. All I had was terror and anxiety lacing through my body. I needed to get out of here.

He rubbed the back of my hands with his thumbs before continuing. "I want to make amends with you, and I want us together again. I promise, it will be better." I don't know if I should believe him. He took one step closer to me. "Now that I know that you are a witch, that changes things. I can give you anything you have ever wanted. All you need to do is say yes." I shook my head. It was now or never.

"Not after what you did to me, Lucas. Those were some of the worst years of my life, spending them with you. I'm sorry, but I don't need you anymore." I took my hands away from his, stepping back. His eyes became angry, burning holes into my very soul.

"Ungrateful witch! I will have you. I always get what I want." He eyed me up and down once before exiting the jewelry store.

As the door shut, I turned around and rested my elbows on the glass case. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to steady my breathing. That was way too close for comfort, and now I was left to pick up the pieces. Angrily, I wiped the tears threatening my eyes as I heard the door open again, relieved that it was Auntie Minnie flowing through and throwing her arms around me. I sobbed quietly into her shoulder, trying to shake my feelings off.

"I'm so sorry, Mia. I had no idea he was here. Did he do anything to you?" she asked, holding me at arm's length and inspecting me over. I shook my head, relieved that he didn't.

"No, I'm okay. Just a little shaken up, that's all," I said, focusing my gaze back at the necklace, hoping it would distract me. She moved to stand next to me and picked up the necklace. She ran her thumbs across the diamonds.

"This is a beautiful necklace," she commented, looking at me. I smiled, feeling my anxiety and terror leave my body.

"It's on my wish list. Maybe I will spoil myself after my first paycheck," I laughed, taking it from her and looking at it myself. She swatted my arm.

"Buy yourself other things, but don't buy this. Let someone else spoil you with this. Maybe I'll get it for you for Christmas," she said, turning to leave.

"Then I would feel horrible about what I got you. I'd have to get you something better." I really hope she won't get me that necklace. The truffles wouldn't suffice. She dismissively waved her hand as I followed her out.

* * *

We returned to the castle a couple of hours ago, but I still couldn't shake off the image of seeing Lucas again. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the picture of his face out of my mind. I sat on my couch, holding onto my guitar and watching the flames in the fire dance into oblivion. I was shaken out of my thoughts when I heard a knock at my door.

"It's unlocked!" I yelled, hoping they could hear me. I heard the door open and close and footsteps coming around.

"Minerva told me what happened today. Are you alright?" I looked up to see Snape with a concerned look written all over his face. He sat down on the other end of the couch, eyeing me and then my guitar.

"If you take out the fact that I probably saw my life flash before my eyes, and my anxiety reached an all-time high, I think I could pass for okay," I said, sarcastically. I looked at my guitar and strummed a random chord. I sighed as I looked at him.

"You know, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to see him ever again. It was bad enough that he's in my memories. He's caused me so much grief, grief that I will probably never recover from. All I can learn to do now is live with it." I sighed in frustration, leaning back against the couch and looking at the ceiling.

"I thought I loved him," I said quietly, before laughing to myself. "I'm pretty sure he's screwed up my chances at ever having a normal dating life. I guess I'll die alone." I strummed another random chord on my guitar. I looked over at my friend, who was looking at me like I had just said something crazy. He seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

"Minerva is right, you know. You are an amazing person. You are brilliant in everything you do. You are passionate, and I can see that in your eagerness to learn Potions. Your bravery in saving Ms. Granger that night speaks volumes of who you really are. Despite what you have told me so far about yourself, you are still breathing and living your life to the fullest. As for the skeletons in your closet, I would like to offer my help." He sat up, becoming more serious with his tone.

"That night when Minerva brought me here to help you, I sensed Dark Magic inside of you. That is something that shouldn't be taken lightly, and it is most likely contributing to your anxiety and your inability to sleep. Although potions will help curb these misfortunes, they won't make it go away. That is where I come in."

That was a lot to digest in a small amount of time. I felt so flattered by his choice of words to describe me. Then he laid it on thick about my anxiety. Dark Magic inside of me? Where did it come from? Snape looked at me for a moment before crossing his arms.

"I want you to play a song, there is something I would like to try," he said, leaning back against the couch.

I shifted uneasily. There was a song that seemed fitting for our odd conversation. I started playing the song, singing along to the strumming of my guitar. I could subtly hear Snape mumbling something, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I closed my eyes, and I could see his face again. I mentally swatted his face away, focusing on the song. I could feel the darkness come around me again, and I struggled to not let it consume me. I could faintly feel a blanket of warmth come over my body, starting at the top of my head and going down all the way to my toes. The darkness seemed to be going away, my vision slowly turning grey. I could see the outline of a face coming into focus. I knew already it wasn't his face, it was another face. This face had light skin, a hooked nose, and piercing black eyes. Blonde hair was replaced with black. His stare turned from piercing to warm and comforting. I could see love in those eyes. I felt a burst of energy come from my midsection, and my eyes shot open, staring at the face I just saw behind my eyelids. I stopped playing and looked at him in amazement. We were both gasping for air, staring at each other.

"What did you do?" I asked, narrowing my gaze at him. I couldn't really describe what I was feeling at that moment. It was as if he was chipping away at the pain that's resided in me for years. I gently set my guitar on the floor and scooted closer to him. I held his hands, and he stiffened at my touch.

"If you can take all of that away," I said, a smile creeping up on my face. "I'd forever be in debt to you. I've been like this for so long. I'm so tired of it." I held onto his hand tighter, feeling my anxiety peak and my tears flowing out of my eyes. I was a complete mess. I suddenly felt arms wrap around me.

"No one should be allowed to live with what is inside of you."

It's been so long since I have felt this kind of comfort from someone. I've spent a better part of my last eight or nine years by myself. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally I was all on my own. I had no one to run to. The one person that I should have ran to was the one person causing all of his turmoil. I relished in his kind gesture. It was a new feeling for the both of us. It felt so right being in his arms at this very moment. He smelled earthy, much like the ingredients he uses when making potions. His warmth seemed to protect me. I felt safe, and that's all I ever wanted.

I still didn't completely understand what was going on with me and Dark Magic, but I felt attracted to Snape at this moment. I wanted to stay like this for however long he wanted me, if he wanted me at all.

Baby steps, I reminded myself. Dark Magic first, feelings later.


	7. Chapter 7: Heart on a Sleeve

**A/N:** Hello! I forgot to add this in the notes for Chapter 6, but the necklace that Mia was looking at in the last chapter is actually a real necklace that I looked at online, and I fell in love with it. If anyone is curious as to what it looks like, PM me and I can send you a link! Also, during the dream sequence in this chapter, there is also a certain piece of jewelry that I have brought into the story from RL. If you'd like to know what that looks like as well, feel free to PM me! Happy reading! PS: I will be out of town for the weekend, and I haven't got a chance to proof and edit Chapter 8. If I can find some time to work on it I'll post it before I leave, if not it should be up after the weekend.

* * *

 **Chapter 7:** _Heart on a Sleeve_

* * *

Sunday was a very quiet day. I kept mostly to myself, spending most of my time sitting on the couch and pondering over yesterday's events. It didn't hit me until today that Lucas was here, in the wizarding world, at Diagon Alley, at the same time I was. He kept saying things would be different now that I am a witch. He must be a wizard. How did I not see this before? Is he behind the reason I have dark magic inside of me? Did he give me magic and it all just backfired? There were so many questions running through my mind, and I didn't know where to start.

And then there was the bit with Snape. The way people knew Snape and the way I knew him was like night and day. In the end, I would always trust him, but I'd definitely be hesitant. Not because of who he was but because of who I have become as a result of the relationship I had with Lucas. I felt so vulnerable last night when I was with him. I wanted to - so badly - just melt into his arms and have him whisk me away on some majestic horse, but that's something I'll have to just leave in my dreams. Until last night, I was content with being on my own, but the magic he did ignited something in me. Maybe it was the dark magic that wanted me to be alone, but the more time that I had spent with him, the more I wanted to be with him.

This was turning into a big magical shit storm and I was stuck drifting in the middle.

What did Lucas mean when he told me he always gets what he wants? My answer was pretty black and white. I did not want to be with him. End of story! I hope he doesn't do something crazy.

My guitar and my piano were my only escape from all of this. I spent a great deal of time with them today, and I was glad that I did. When I wasn't filling my room with music, I was either lying in bed or immersing myself in my lesson plans. In most instances, though, I opted to bond with my bed and stare into nothingness. I didn't think about anything in particular, I just felt like staring at something that took my mind off of the weekend. Eventually, my empty mind brought me into a nice cat nap in the middle of the day. I woke up to the sound of the fireplace cackling away. There was a note left on the couch, meaning someone came in here while I was sleeping. How creepy! I looked at the note, relieved to see that it was only Auntie Minnie.

 _Mia,_

 _I have been worried about you all day. Are you feeling well? We missed you at lunch. I know yesterday was not a good day for you, but I wanted to let you know that I am here for you when you are ready to talk._

 _If you don't come up for supper, I will stop by again with some food. It is not good to have an empty stomach._

 _Auntie Minnie_

I checked the clock and saw that it was just about time for dinner in the Great Hall. For Auntie Minnie's sake, I made myself look presentable before heading out. I shoved my hands into my jeans as I climbed the stairs out of the dungeons. I kept my head lowered, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. I was surprised to see I was one of the first to make it to the Great Hall for dinner. I sighed as I patiently waited for the food to appear. I laid my head on the table, covering myself with my arms. I could feel a headache coming on, probably because I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I felt a small hand on my back, and I shot up in panic.

"It's just me, dear," Auntie Minnie said, looking at me in concern. I sighed in relief, putting my head back down on the table. My nerves calmed down as she rubbed my back, sitting down next to me.

"He's a wizard, isn't he?" I asked her. I took her silence as a yes. I was so frustrated at this whole situation. I thought coming here would have been better for me, taking me away from everything. I wanted to start fresh here, but it seems like misery likes to follow me, no matter where I go. I picked my head up at the scent of the food, and silently ate. The Potions Master didn't come for dinner, but I was so drained I didn't really seem to care. I just wanted to eat and retreat back to my room.

* * *

The last week of school before the holiday break was pretty quiet. I stayed in my room most days, distracting myself by working on more lesson plans. My anxiety has been a constant for the past few days, but the stress from preparing to teach was better than dwelling on Lucas. I didn't want Auntie Minnie to fuss over me, so I would make an appearance for food, but would come straight back to my room after I was done.

On the last day of classes I decided to visit my favorite garden. I had a pretty good amount of lesson plans stacked, and I felt like treating myself to the outside world. The students had already left to go back home, so there was close to no one left on the school grounds besides some staff. It was lightly snowing, so I opted to sit on one of the benches. I could feel the damp snow on my jeans, but I didn't care. I have felt so numb this past week, it was nice to feel something. I propped my guitar on my leg and began to play.

 _As the smoke clears  
I awaken, and untangle you from me  
Would it make you, feel better to watch me while I bleed?  
All my windows, still are broken  
But I'm standing on my feet_

 _You can take everything I have_  
 _You can break everything I am_  
 _Like I'm made of glass_  
 _Like I'm made of paper_  
 _Go on and try to tear me down_  
 _I will be rising from the ground_  
 _Like a skyscraper_  
 _Like a skyscraper_

I went full out with my song because it just felt right. I could hear my voice and my guitar echo into the walls, and it was beautiful. The stress that I've welcomed has now run away, anxiety trailing behind it. I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall. Not out here where people can see, but maybe when I'm back in my room. I vaguely noticed that someone came to sit next to me. I could see out of the corner of my eye familiar black robes that pooled around black boots. He was so still while he sat next to me, listening to my song. I finally willed myself to look at him once I was finished. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"That bad?" He asked. I nodded, hugging my guitar. The cold was finally starting to get to me; I was starting to shiver and could see goosebumps on my arm. We were quiet for a moment, and then he moved to stand.

"Come," he said, holding his hand out to me. I took it without hesitation and followed him into the corridors. I followed next to him, matching his every step. I looked at him, his face hard with no emotion. He had a face like he was on some kind of mission. I feel like I should apologize for this past week. I was supposed to be helping him with his potions but I decided to hide away in my room.

"I'm sorry for skipping out on you this week," I said after giving it some thought. We stopped in front of his door, and he turned to look at me, his eyes asking why I was apologizing.

"I should have told you that I decided to be a hermit for a week." I looked at him shyly, hoping my little joke would lighten up the mood. He stared at me, and his gaze started to soften.

"There is no need to apologize for your actions. As I have said before, I am here to help you, but if you wish to be alone, I will not force my aid upon you." Well, that was nice, I guess. I'm not one to take a lot of help from other people though. I've done so much on my own that I can usually handle it without another pair of hands in the mix. He waved his hand and the door opened.

I'm not sure how a room this big can fit in a castle like this. The door opened up into what could be a great room. There was a fireplace, a long couch, and two seats. Against the wall farthest from me was a bookcase that stretched from one end to the other, filled with books. On the opposite wall was a small kitchen area and a workbench where he could do his potions. Straight ahead was a large window that was the length of the whole wall, framed in silver and green. There were a set of doors that went out into a small balcony. There was even a set of stairs that lead to a small landing and a door at the end, to his classroom I'm assuming. Underneath the landing was a small archway.

I guess having tenure at this school comes with its perks.

"Wow," was all I was able to speak, trying to take it all in. He didn't have much, typical of any man I knew, but it was his to call home. Then the realization hit that I was in Snape's personal quarters.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, curious. He turned to me with crossed arms.

"Well, for one, you have allowed me to come into your quarters, so I thought it would be kind to invite you to mine. Also, I have a proposal for you, and I thought it would be best to discuss them here." He walked over to a small cupboard near his kitchen and took out two tumblers and a bottle of - is that alcohol? I saw the word "Firewhiskey" on the label of the bottle. "Please, have a seat."

He motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs. He handed me a glass and poured some of the Firewhiskey into my cup. I took a sip, welcoming the burn of alcohol into my throat. The fireplace lit up at the wave of his hand. He sat down on the edge of the couch closest to me and cleared his throat.

"As you know, Minerva and I have been helping you a great deal in terms of introducing you into the wizarding world and, consequently, your discovery of magic. In all my years of teaching at this dreadful school, I have seen what magic is capable of, and because of that, Minerva and I have thought it was best that we both help you in harnessing your magic.

"Your magic, in addition to your current situation with...Lucas... Could prove to be overwhelming. Minerva has offered to take you under her wing, and she suggests that I aid you in dealing with the Dark Magic. I had offered this to you before, but I strongly urge you to take my offer seriously. Your magic, as demonstrated with the troll, seems to react in time with your emotional and mental state. Magic is most effective when you're thinking clearly, and I can help you with that."

That was quite the proposal. I took another sip of my drink, weighing the options (there weren't really any other alternatives, anyways). I am so grateful for the two of them. I don't know where I would be if my life didn't bring me here. The answer was a no-brainer, so I nodded, feeling relieved to know they are on my side - for good. Still, I couldn't help to think he was keeping something from me, but I trusted him, and that wouldn't change my answer.

"You talk like I'm going to say no," I said, the Firewhiskey making me laugh. "I think that's a great idea, I wouldn't trust anyone else to help me through all of this. Until I came here, my only source of relief from any of this stuff was that beauty right there-" I pointed to my guitar, the flames reflecting off the polished wood. "Along with my piano back in my room. Since I've been here at Hogwarts, I've felt like more weight has been taken off of my shoulders than the days I would spend at home playing my guitar until my fingers bleed." He winced, probably thinking of bloody fingers playing a guitar.

"I would be a fool to say no to you and Auntie Minnie. And besides," I started, feeling the alcohol coursed through me. "I'm starting to like you, and I want to get to know you better." Yup. That was definitely the alcohol holding my heart out for all to see.

His eyebrow shot up so fast, looking at me like I said something crazy. I noticed I did that a lot with him. This time seemed justified though - liquid courage was making me say crazy things. A giggle somehow escaped my lips. This was getting so embarrassing. Surprisingly, he seemed to be just as interested in me as much as I was with him.

"I agree, I have grown to have some interest in you as well. Seeing your enthusiasm in learning the art of potions is...refreshing. As I have said before, I enjoy your company, I would never deny you mine." He smiled as he told me he enjoyed having me around. It looks like liquid courage was helping him out tonight, too. He got up to remove his teaching robe and threw it over the back of the couch, and walked over to the fireplace.

"I feel I must warn you, Mia, I am a difficult man. This could take time," he said, staring into the fire. I could see hurt in his eyes as he tried so hard to not look at me. I set my glass down on the table and looked at him.

"Then I should warn you I am a difficult woman. Not by choice, mind you. I was forced to be difficult." I walked over and stood next to him. The drink was definitely starting to wear off, but I really wanted him to know I mean every single word that I've said.

"I'm not saying this needs to happen overnight. I would actually really hate it if it happened overnight. I know this will take time, and it will just make it that much more special. I mean, if we get to that point." Even in my babbling I could feel this conversation would go south very quickly. I crossed my arms and walked back towards the couch. "Okay, enough of this ooey gooey talk. School is over for the holidays. Shouldn't we be celebrating?"

* * *

 _The view of the lake was spectacular. The sun was at its highest right now, the reflection rippling in the water. I rested my hands on the railing, leaning over and deeply inhaling the scent of Mother Nature. I smiled, filing this moment away into a special place. I have longed for this moment since I have arrived here, and it was surreal to know I was finally living it._

 _Familiar hands wrapped around my waist, holding me close. I leaned back, turning so I could rest my face up against his neck, his black hair tickling my face. He kissed me on the forehead before stealing a glance at the view I was just melting away in._

 _"_ _Mrs. Snape. I never thought I would be delighted to hear that," his dark, baritone voice said. I chuckled, holding out my hand that was wearing the ring he had just given to me the night before. It was simple, yet his explanation on why he chose this particular set made my heart swell. The ring was made out of white gold and diamonds. There were six small, round diamonds that rested in the band, swirling up into a mount that held four square diamonds that were shaped to look like one._

 _"_ _I cannot wait until I can wear the rest of it," I said as I turned to wrap my arms around him. He held me for a moment before he gently pushed me away and cupped my face in his hands._

 _"_ _I wouldn't want anyone else wearing it. You deserve it. We deserve it," he said, holding me tighter. "You're mine."_

 _Our lips finally met, and it was just as wonderful as our last kiss. I was here because of him, and he was here because of me. I could feel his hands snake up my back, one stopping halfway and the other holding me at the base of my neck, dipping me back to deepen the kiss. We stopped for a moment, forehead to forehead, and smiled._

 _This is what happiness is. This right here._

* * *

I woke up to a massive headache. I felt like my brain was going to come out of my skull. How much did I have to drink last night? Did I make it back to my room? Where am I? I haven't felt like this since the last time I went out for Taco Tuesday. Once I was able to focus without feeling dizzy, I noticed I was wrapped in my blanket on my bed. Well, at least I made it back here, but who was that on my couch? I got up just a bit too quickly, and my head started pounding again.

"Drink that vial on your bedside table, your head will feel better," a very groggy Snape said. He must be the mysterious guest. I looked over and grabbed the small vial, popped the cork off and downed the liquid. It wasn't the best tasting potion, but I could already start to feel my headache go away. I wrapped my blanket around myself before moving to sit on the couch with him.

"How bad was I?" I asked, afraid of what he would tell me. From the few times I can remember being inebriated, I tend to wear my heart – and whatever feelings I have at the time – on my sleeve. It's like every feeling I have tried so hard to stay inside comes out to play.

He started with a laugh before looking at me. That can't be good. I could feel a blush creeping up my cheeks as I tried to wrap my blanket tighter around me.

Somewhere between him laughing and me realizing how much of a fool I must have been last night, I realized Snape wasn't in his usual black attire. He was in emerald green cotton pants and a white shirt that showed off his lean body.

"I have seen worse, if that makes you feel better," he said, standing up and walking to my kitchen area. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please. Tea is on the bottom-"

 _Pop!_

"…shelf." I couldn't help but stare at this creature that appeared out of thin air. It was just a few inches taller than my table, and was holding a platter with two plates full of breakfast foods. I know it's rude to stare, but I couldn't help it.

"Kolry has brought breakfast for Master Snape and Miss Taylor," the creature named Kolry said, bowing towards my guest.

"That will be all, Kolry, thank you," he said, his back still turned.

"Kolry is pleased to serve," the creature replied before popping out of my room. I was pretty sure whatever just happened didn't actually happen. Maybe I'm still dreaming. There was only one way to find out.

"Ow!" I yelped, rubbing my arm. So it was real. Snape sat next to me, putting the tea down and eyeing me carefully. I waved off his thoughts. "I just wanted to make sure I wasn't dreaming or something."

"Kolry is one of the Hogwarts house elves. If there is anything you need you can call on them, they're – always – dreadfully happy to assist you in anything," Snape drawled, rolling his eyes. He pushed one of the plates of food towards me and motioned for me to eat.

We spent our breakfast talking about what we would be working on in terms of potions and my lessons in harnessing my magic. He suggested that I spend some time with Auntie Minnie first before we start our work on the Dark Magic. He also asked if I would be willing to spend one or two nights a week with him, working out my issue with the anxiety that came with the stupid magic.

"From what I have concluded, it seems the incantation I used on you previously has some effect on you. It doesn't necessarily take it away, but I can sense it weakening. If we can weaken it, you will be able to control it until we can find a solution."

"Is there a solution to all of this, though? I am ready to live with it, if that is what it comes down to. I already spent a greater part of almost ten years with this kind of stuff, I think I can spend a few more years with it." He set down his silverware before turning his full attention to me.

"Dark Magic is something you don't want to live with, Mia. It will consume you, and you will become merely but a shell of who you use to be. I have seen what Dark Magic can do to someone, and it's not pretty. Someone with a strong soul and spirit like you does not deserve to live a life like that. If there is a way to reverse what has been done to you, I assure you either myself or Minerva will figure it out," he said, his gaze never leaving mine. I rubbed my forehead, trying to digest everything he just said. He sighed, moving to sit closer to me.

"We are, as you call it, friends, correct? I believe that is the term you used last night. And you used it quite-" he paused to look at me with laughing eyes. "-liberally. If we are indeed friends, I would like to help you, as a friend."

I'm pretty sure my face could not get any more red than it already feels like. So I guess my theme for last night was declaring my friendship with Professor Snape. I shrugged in defeat, letting our newly announced friendship start to take its course.

"Okay, I'll accept your help. I can't exactly refuse anything from Auntie Minnie, and now it's clear I can't really refuse anything from you," I said, jokingly. I stabbed a potato with my fork and popped it into my mouth.

"So what's on the agenda for today?"

* * *

Christmas time at Hogwarts was – for lack of a better term – magical. Professor Flitwick arranged all the decorations in the Great Hall, while Auntie Minnie was in charge of other decorations around the school. Her assignment to "deck the halls" gave me an opportunity to work with my magic. I had already been practicing for a few weeks prior to the holiday decoration, and Auntie seemed impressed enough to supervise me in decorating the school.

My wand felt so natural in my hand; it was almost as if it was just an extension of my arm. Every time I used it, I could feel the familiar tingle of my magic coursing through my arm and being channeled through my wand. I was still getting used to seeing objects float at my command, but no matter how many times I do it, I always feel like a little kid in a candy store.

"You have been doing so well with your lessons, Mia. I am very proud of you," Auntie Minnie said to me, beaming. I flashed her a rare Mia smile. We had just finished the last corridor, and were making our way back to the Great Hall for dinner.

"Thanks, Auntie. I feel empowered when I use my magic. It's something that I've always wanted to feel, but I always felt the opposite – powerless," I told her, looking at my wand. "I actually feel like someone."

She waved her finger at me as we turned a corner. "Yes, I agree, magic can give you a lot of power, but you must be careful what you use that power for. There have been many tales where witches and wizards were destined to be great, but they let the power of their magic consume them. Most of those people now are in a high security prison."

"Wow. Well, I can assure you, Auntie, I will not end up there. I'm not about to go and screw something like this up," I promised her. We turned the last corner and noticed Professor Snape waiting in front of the doors leading into the Great Hall. I smiled at him, and he returned the gesture. Auntie Minnie looked at the both of us, curiously.

"Severus, is there something you need?" Auntie Minnie asked, _clearly_ probing some kind of answer about me. I shook my head and looked away, breathing a "Really, Auntie?" that only she could hear. She smirked at my question, stopping in front of him.

"Good evening Minerva, Mia. I was actually going to ask Mia what her plans were for the rest of the evening," he drawled out, rather suspiciously. I cocked an eyebrow at the both of them. I feel like there is something they both are planning – have planned – and I had no idea what they were going to do.

"Auntie and I were-"

"She has no plans for the rest of the evening, we have completed our session for today. She did a marvelous job dressing the halls with the Christmas garlands." She cut me off so quickly I barely had time to recover my jaw that had fallen to the floor. I could see Snape out of the corner of my eye muffling his laugh.

"I see," he said, regaining his composure. "Well, then… Mia, I would like to take this opportunity to-"

"Severus wants to take you out to dinner, my dear. Why don't you go back to your quarters to change into something nice and arrange to meet at the castle gates?" Auntie Minnie interjected again, this time cutting off Snape. He gave her the most piercing eyes anyone could ever give anyone. If his eyes could shoot darts, I don't think Auntie Minnie would be standing at this very moment.

"Oh! Well, of course I will go out with you. I'll meet you at the gates in an hour?" I noticed Auntie Minnie open her mouth, but Snape successfully beat her to the response.

"Yes, I will see you in an hour," he said, bowing his head to me. I smiled, flushing a little bit before I took a quick glance at Auntie Minnie. She shooed me off, and I went prancing down the hall and towards the dungeons.


	8. Chapter 8: First Date

**A/N** : Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend :) I'm finally back from my mini vacay, and as promised, here's the next chapter. Please forgive me if I am using the wrong terminology, and please correct me if I'm using the wrong warning. There is a little bit of dubcon in here during a dream sequence. As always, please skip over it if you're not comfortable with that. Hope you guys like it!

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 8:** _First Date_

* * *

What should I wear? Auntie said to wear something nice. I pulled out my yellow Calvin Klein dress. It was a fairly simple dress, falling right above my knees. It had a gold zipper that went down to the middle of my chest, the neckline modest, but still making me look as feminine as I could be in a dress. I opted for my black wedges tonight, knowing that all my other shoes would dress down my outfit too much. My only tried-and-true hairstyle with this dress was loose curls, so I quickly curled my hair, giving it some style. Simple make up and a pearl bracelet completed my look. I looked at the clock; it was almost time to leave to meet him at the gates. I sprayed myself with my _Vera Wang Princess_ perfume before grabbing my clutch and my cardigan and making my way out of the room.

The clicking coming from my heels echoed in the empty corridors. I was nervous, and I could feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous though, we were just going out for dinner, as friends. I rounded the last corner and could see him standing by the large gates, hands in his pockets. He obviously left his robes, and it looked like he was something other than his signature coat and trousers.

He was in a simple button up and dress pants with black dress shoes. His shirt was a dark forest green, silver cufflinks by his wrist. The shirt and pants were much fitted, showing off a lean body that I rarely saw under all those usual layers of clothes. He definitely was not the bat of the dungeons tonight, as many students would call him.

"You look beautiful," he said, giving me a small smile.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I replied, blushing. "It's nice to see you in something other than teaching attire."

He shifted on his feet rather uncomfortably. "Minerva has requested that I wear this tonight, as we will be traveling to London for dinner." He held out a hand, and I rested mine in his.

"London?" I giggled. "My goodness, professor, if I didn't know any better, it would sound like we're going on a date."

He held onto my hand a little tighter before answering. "You would be correct, Mia. As I have said before I do have some interest in you, and I would like to see where our…friendship… takes us. As such, please call me Severus. Professor is all too formal for a night like this. Also, Minerva wouldn't let up unless an event such as this happened. She is very keen on making us an item, unfortunately," he explained, his eyes rolling so far back you would think he would have passed out. I laughed, thinking about my godmother playing matchmaker. It must make her feel young again.

The gates slowly opened, and he led me out, feeling the tingling sensation all over my body again. I could feel goosebumps forming on my skin. Once the gates closed, we looked at each other.

"When I walked through here, Professor Dumbledore told me that I would get used to that feeling," I said, hoping he would catch on to my question.

"Ah," he said, acknowledging that he knew what I was asking. "The school is protected with wards. Merlin forbid there is an attack on the school, but if there was, the wards would protect the property until we were able to ensure the students' safety and a defense plan against the attackers."

I shook at the thought. I can't imagine anyone trying to attack this school. The appearance alone made it look intimidating. Anyone that is willing to attack this school is a complete idiot. I looked down and realized that Severus was holding both of my hands now.

"There no need for those foolish thoughts in your head tonight. Shall we?" he asked, arching his eyebrow at me. I nodded, and he brought me into his embrace. He held me tight as I could feel my insides start to swirl.

In just one blink, we went from Hogwarts to London. Also, in one blink, I went from standing on two feet to dry heaving on all fours.

I could feel Severus holding my hair back as I continued to hurl nothing out of my throat. I must sound very attractive right now. A handkerchief appeared and I gladly took it, wiping my mouth.

"I apologize, Mia. Apparating can have ill effects if you are not used to the sensation," Severus said, concern laced through his deep tone. It took me a couple more heaves before I was able to come back to my senses.

He walked me over to a nearby bench and sat me down.

"That was a very – very – interesting experience," I breathed, resting my head onto his shoulder. "Please tell me it will get easier."

"I assure you, it does get easier." I closed my eyes, and I could feel his fingers run up and down my arm, which was very relaxing. "Are you still interested in dinner tonight?" Severus asked, looking at me. I nodded as we both got up and started walking. I'm not sure if I'm up for a whole meal anymore, though, so I suggested something small that we both could share. We ended up finding a small shop with desserts and pastries, and decided to share a slice of Dutch apple pie with a generous scoop of french vanilla ice cream on top. We were able to find a table just outside the door, and sat there to eat our delicious slice of pie.

"So, tell me, how did Severus Snape become one of Hogwarts most feared professors?" I prodded, jabbing my fork into the apple pie. His fork followed suit, also jabbing the pie, and popping it into his mouth before he answered.

"I was twenty one when I was appointed the position of Potions Master. I must admit I have always been rather – harsh, as the students put it – when it came to my class. Potions is a very specific art, and I don't have time for these students to dilly dally. Surely you must understand, coming from a similar background." I nodded. I knew how careful you had to be when you were dealing with certain elements or chemicals. One wrong move and you could blow up the whole city.

"There was one time I was working in the lab with one of the new assistants, fresh graduate, so he was a bit cocky." Benjamin was his name, and I hated him. He always tried to make it look like he was the better one, but it always backfired. "We were working on a special project for the government, and we were mixing two unstable chemicals. He poured the catalyst too fast and we were short 3 desks by the time the room was deemed safe to enter." I took a bite of pie again, mixing it with a little ice cream.

"That is precisely the reason why I conduct my classes the way that I do," he said, victoriously. "It might be beneficial for the students if you came for a guest lecture. May be it will finally sink into their little brains how important it is to not fool around." We laughed as we finished our slice, leaving the plate and our forks for the busser to take away. I left a small tip as we made to leave.

We walked around town, looking at the many shops that lined the street while exchanging our war stories of chemistry and potions. We somehow switched the topic from mindless students to our own childhood. We came upon a park, and decided to sit on a bench that overlooked a large lake. He grew up in a place called Cokeworth, and didn't really like his parents too much. He hated his father, but I could tell he still cared for his mother. She was the one to show him the wizarding world, and helped him discover his magic. Eileen was her name. His whole childhood was spent at Hogwarts, and that's all he cared to remember.

I told him that I grew up in a place called Beverly Hills. My parents owned a rather large plot of land. My parents were both well-known surgeons, and their clientele included some high profile people from around the world. They always pushed for me to do well in my academics, so that was all I ever knew. My mother was a strict enforcer of learning music, which was how I learned the piano. My love for the guitar came much later. I had friends, but they never stuck. School was just as normal for me as it was for any other kid, except for the fact that I went to some of the most prestigious institutions for my education.

"It seems our lives are more parallel than I thought," Severus said, amusingly. I laughed in agreement, leaning my head onto his shoulder. He brought his arm around so that it was now draped over my shoulders.

"I only had one friend, but just like you, it just didn't stick," he started. I looked up to see that face of hurt on him again. This must be what he was talking about that night we were in his room.

"I met her when I was very young. Her name was Lily. Her sister was calling her a freak when I met her. She called her a freak because she was showing her magic. I showed her what I could do, and from then on we were friends. We came to Hogwarts together, but we were sorted into different houses."

"What house did she belong to?" I asked, staring at the lake.

"Gryffindor," he said, almost forcefully. "She started befriending other Gryffindors, and we… grew apart." We were quiet for a few moments, listening to the wind gently flow by.

"Did you care about her? Surely you can work something out with her," I said, not exactly sure why I said it. I could tell in the tone of his voice that he really did care about Lily. If he cared for her so much, why doesn't he try and make amends with her? He's making an effort with me, he should make an effort on her.

"Yes I did come to care for Lily. She was the only friend I had. It's a bit more complicated than just talking out our differences." I could tell by his answer he didn't want to talk about her anymore, so I didn't push him. His hand wrapped around my shoulder as we sat in silence and looked at the lake.

 _Mia._

Oh no. Not now. What does he want now? I shot up from the bench and looked around frantically. Is he here at the park? Has he been watching us? The air seemed to have gotten colder as I looked around for him.

 _Oh, my dear Mia. Cheating on me, are we? Stubborn witch._

"Mia, are you alright?" Severus asked, standing behind me. I shook my head no.

 _Well, I can't say I approve of your little outing with your…friend. You both are lucky you are somewhere where I can't take care of business. We will have to find a place more suitable for me._

I looked back at Severus, my eyes so wide I could almost feel them wanting to pop out. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. The familiar black curtain started to come around me again, and I could feel myself slumping onto the ground.

"Mia, I am getting you out of here," Severus said, picking me up and walking me towards an area of the park full of trees. I was barely able to stay on my two feet, but I made it, leaning my back up against a tree trunk. Severus pulled me towards his chest, making sure my head rested on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Severus, he's in my head," I was able to say before trying to take a breath.

"I know. I need to get you back to the school so I can tend to you. Don't let go." I faintly heard a popping sound as I felt the sensation of apparating course through my body again.

When my feet touched firm ground, my legs turned into jello, and I could feel Severus swiftly pick me up and carried me past the tingling wards of the castle. I felt another sense of tingling shortly after, but figured it was just the wards that Severus was talking about earlier.

 _My sweet Mia, I told you, I always get what I want. And what I want is you._

"Get out of my head!" I yelled, clinging onto Severus for dear life. I heard a door swing open and noticed that we had made it back to his room. He laid me on the couch and I instantly curled into the fetal position, trying to shield myself from his voice.

"Get out get out get out!" I screamed, my heart racing faster and my breathing becoming much quicker. I felt arms pull me up into a sitting position, and a vial was perched on my lips.

"Drink," Severus said, and I opened my mouth as he emptied the contents for me to drink. The familiar taste of berries was a welcoming sense, and I could feel his hands bring me back to lay me down. My breathing was starting to even out as I focused on the gentle hum of his voice. My body felt light again, every muscle finally beginning to relax.

"Thank you," I whispered, hoping he could hear me. I felt him stand up from the couch and sit back down on the floor in front of me. I opened my eyes to look at him. "Thank you," I said again.

"How often do you hear him?" he asked.

"Twice, so far. The first time was when I was in the hospital wing. I can't even tell when it happens. All of a sudden I just hear his voice and then I go into a panic mode." I could feel my tears freely falling, and I wiped them away. If there's anything I don't want to live with, it would be his voice being stuck in my head.

"I'm just so tired. Tired of it all." I somehow erupted into a full blown meltdown. I covered my face, not wanting him to see. He moved to sit on the couch again, and pulled me on his lap. I admit, I was surprised he did it, but I was so distracted by this whole situation that it didn't fully register to me. He held me as I cried into the crook of his neck. I finally came to, and wiped the tears off of my face.

"I should probably get back to my room. Despite the way it ended, I really liked going out with you tonight," I said, giving Severus a small smile.

He shook his head. "I enjoyed tonight as well, but I must insist that you stay here with me tonight. I want to ensure you are safe and back to normal before I see you walk out of my quarters."

Before I could even retaliate, a shirt and a pair of cotton pajama pants appeared in front of me.

"You can change in the bathroom, right there, and you will sleep in my bed tonight. I'll make due out here," he said, picking me up out of his lap.

"Severus, I'll be fine," I said, hoping he will just let me go. He shook his head again.

"I must insist. I need to make sure you're okay." He waved me towards the bathroom before I could speak another word.

I looked at myself in the mirror as I closed the door to change. I was definitely pale, my eyes swollen from the crying. Why was he doing all this for me? What makes me so special? I can understand him helping me with the magic and all, but he didn't need to do the extra "hearts and flowers" stuff. There is definitely something between us, I know that for sure. May be I'm just overthinking everything; I tend to do that a lot. I changed into the shirt and pajama pants and walked out to find Severus setting down two cups of coffee.

"Have you done your Christmas shopping?" he asked, breaking the silence between us. I nodded, making a mental note to wrap the gifts when I get back to my room.

"I did, actually, that day I ran into Lucas," I said, shuddering at the thought of him. He always knows how to ruin a good moment. "Or, really, when he ran into me. Have you?"

He shrugged. "I don't really buy presents, but the staff likes to get each other gifts, so I'm obliged to get something for them in return." I laughed, just picturing him trying to figure out what to get, and settling on giving everyone the same exact gift. His eyebrow raised at my response. "Dare I ask what you find so hilarious?"

"There are some things better left unsaid," I said, eyeing him as I drank the last of my coffee. "Do you mind if I take a book? It'll help me fall asleep." He nodded as I got up and walked over to his large bookshelf. I ran my fingers over the bindings of some of the books, trying to figure out which one was calling out to me to read tonight. My eyes fell on a book that I haven't heard about since my high school days.

"I never would have thought you were into Sherlock Holmes," I said over my shoulder, eyeing _The Hound of the Baskervilles_. I pulled it from the shelf, deciding on the detective to be my bed time story. I opened the book and realized Severus came to stand next to me.

"I may be a Potions Master, but I do like to do some recreational reading to save me from having a headache from grading those awful essays," he said, staring at the stack of said essays that were on the table. I laughed, waving the book in his face.

"Well, if you're going to do grading tonight, you can blame your headache on me. I'm taking this book tonight." I smiled at him before I started making my way towards his bedroom. I stopped just past the couch, and turned back around and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"Thank you, again, for everything tonight. Don't stay up too late." I turned again and started heading for his room, not stopping this time. I'm not sure why I did that, but I felt like it needed to be done.

"Sleep well, Mia," he said as I walked through the door.

* * *

 _"_ _Lucas, please," I pleaded, praying for the pain to stop._

 _I needed to get out of here. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve this. Or…may be I did._

 _"_ _My dear, if you would have just listened! That's your problem! You never – ever – listen!" he yelled, almost spitting in my face. I was on the ground, curled into the fetal position. My head was pounding from when I fell to the floor, and I felt a searing pain on my back, and I had no idea where it came from._

 _I could hear his footsteps as he walked around me. He stopped, and the searing pain on my back started again. He picked me up from the ground, and sat me on the bed._

 _"_ _Promise me," he said through gritted teeth. "Promise me you will not disobey me again."_

 _All I did was change a few equations on the formulas we were working on for his company. He got so angry because I seemed to find a better way, and not him. I thought I was helping._

 _I painfully wasn't._

 _Tears flowed as I nodded. "I promise. I won't disobey you again," I said, barely able to hear my own voice._

 _He sighed as he gently kissed my lips. Gingerly, he laid me down on the bed, pulling my shirt off of me and running his hands all over me. He moved to take off my pants and underwear, and his, then pushed himself inside of me, filling me the way that he did. I didn't dare to question his sudden mood to make love to me. I just took it, knowing this is what he would have wanted._

 _We were both on the verge on climax, moaning out each other's names. He kissed me one more time before releasing himself inside of me, my own trailing right after. When our breathing had calmed down and our hearts stopped racing, he looked straight into my eyes._

 _"_ _Obliviate."_

* * *

I woke up to a tear stained pillow. I must have been crying in my sleep. I wiped my eyes as I sat up, trying to make sense of the nightmare I just had to endure. It felt odd, not just because I dreamt about _that_ , but I don't remember that ever happening. May be it was just my mind running wild because of what happened last night. I flopped back down onto the bed, and my hand hit something hard.

"Ow…" That hit the wrong bone! Now I could feel the pain through my whole arm. It's almost as bad as hitting your funny bone. I looked over and saw the culprit was none other than Sherlock Holmes. Such a shame, I only made it to page fifty two before I passed out. I finally mustered up the energy to get out of bed and head to the bathroom to relieve myself. I walked out of the bedroom and over to the couch to check on Severus. He was using one of the couch pillows and used his teaching robes as a blanket. I shook my head and walked back into his bedroom to take the blanket from his bed and drape it over him before going to the bathroom.

Since I wasn't exactly prepared to spend the night here, all I was able to do was run some water over my face, and try to make myself look presentable for the walk back to my room. I took both my index fingers and ran them under my eyes, trying to wipe away the eyeliner that smudged in my sleep. It'll have to do for now, until I can get back and use my make-up remover. I folded my clothes from last night and started making my way out and back to my room.

"Leaving so soon?" Severus said, startling me. I thought he was sleeping! Sneaky bastard. I turned and walked back to him.

"I told you I would stay until I proved to you I was fine, and I am perfectly fine and well rested now," I said, pretty confidently. "The only thing I'm not is showered and fed. I'll see you in the Great Hall for breakfast?"

He sighed as he got up from his place on the couch. With a flick of his hand the blanket I had draped over him started to float its way back to the bedroom. He stopped when he came in front of me, and looked me over.

"So, am I free to go?" I asked. He took my hand and kissed the back of it. His lips felt soft on my skin. It's too early for this.

"I see you are back to normal. I enjoyed last night, Mia. I'll see you at breakfast." He waved his hand again and the door opened. I couldn't really think of anything to say, so I just smiled and made my way out.

Despite the downfalls, I would say this was a successful first date. I have to remember to thank Auntie Minnie when I see her. We're supposed to have another magic session today. I turned a corner and ran into one of the professors.

"I'm so sorry!" I said, holding my hand out to help him up. He seemed taken aback by me, but took my hand anyways.

"N-no need M-Ms. T-t-Taylor," he said, a bit nervously. I remembered him from Halloween. I don't speak to him much, but I'll see him during meals.

"Professor Quirrel, am I correct? Sorry I haven't had a chance to get to know you since I've been here." The professor shook his head, not offended that I wasn't able to get to know him.

"It's quite alr-right. It must be a b-bit o-overwhelming coming t-t-to a new p-p-place." I nodded. I wonder where he got his stuttering from. I had a few friends in school that had speech impediments, but they went to speech therapy.

"I think I've settled in okay now, though. Will you be at breakfast today? May be we can talk more then."

 _Mia._

That was definitely not Lucas. This was a different voice. It was almost a whisper.

 _Mia Taylor._

I looked at Professor Quirrel, who just stared straight ahead. He almost looked hypnotized, like he wasn't himself at the moment.

"Professor?" He didn't move. He wasn't even breathing.

 _Yes, Mia. You will do._

I ran as fast as I could. I looked back, and the professor was still standing there. It didn't matter now, I just kept running. I stopped when I finally slammed the door to my room. My heart was racing a million miles a minute, and I was sweating profusely. Am I going crazy? I have to be going crazy. I bolted straight for the shower, wanting to forget what just happened.


	9. Chapter 9: Season of Giving

**A/N:** Hello Everyone! Did anyone catch the live stream of the premiere for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Hollywood? I LOVED when John Williams conducted the LA Philharmonic. I can't wait to go one day. May be when the crowds die down I'll probably end up going. Anyways, it's Christmas time in my little story so I thought I would sweeten it up a bit. I was going for an "Awww" factor this time. Haha! Hope you all enjoy!

 **DISCLAIMER** : I do not own anything Harry Potter in here. I'm just happily sitting in the sandbox and letting my imagination run wild!

* * *

 **Chapter 9:** _Season of Giving_

* * *

It was finally Christmas Eve, and Auntie Minnie said she had a special session planned for me. It was the perfect distraction. After that incident with Professor Quirrell several days ago, he's been giving me weird looks, but he hasn't talked to me since. Severus has noticed his curious eyes, too, and I could tell he didn't like the way he was looking at me. I don't think anyone would feel comfortable with someone looking at them the way Quirrell did to me. A couple of days ago, Severus told me he confronted Quirrell, and he said he would stop his staring. He hasn't looked at me since, but it was still awkward to be around him still.

I walked past the castle walls and towards the familiar Quidditch pitch. Why would she want to meet out here? Passing through the entrance marked "Quidditch Arena", I saw Auntie Minnie standing in the middle of the field.

"Is our session going to involve me learning how to play?" I joked, hugging her. She chuckled.

"No. Well, not yet. If you wanted to learn you can always observe one of Gryffindor's practices. I'm sure Mr. Wood wouldn't mind." She turned towards her feet and waved her hand. Suddenly, an object in the shape of a broom covered in gift wrap appeared.

"Merry Christmas, Mia. You are learning how to fly today."

I look at her, surprised. Flying? I knelt down and carefully unwrapped the broom. It was made out of a dark brown wood, almost reminded me of mahogany. The bristles on the broom looked like a bunch of twigs spun together, a large gold ring to hold them with the main rod, then a smaller ring to hold the ends together. I picked it up, and it was surprisingly light. I never thought I would be so happy to get a broom as a Christmas present. She motioned for me to set the broom back down.

"I would have asked Madame Hooch to supervise your flying lessons, but she has left the castle for the night, and I didn't want to delay this any further," she said, looking at me apologetically. I didn't mind, though. I would be more comfortable with Auntie Minnie than if it was Madame Hooch teaching me how to fly.

We covered most of the basics. It was hard to be able to command my broom up from the ground to my hand, but I think I got the hang of it after a few tries. Balancing myself while floating was hard. There's not much to sit on, and I had to sit precisely where it would keep the broom balanced, with my hands off the broomstick. I took a few falls, but I was only a few inches off the ground, so it wasn't too bad. She skipped on having me try to fly vertically, at least until I get used to how to properly sit on my broom. Before I knew it, our session was already over. She invited me into her room to have some tea.

"You did very well today. I am impressed you learned flying without having many issues. Some of our first years are still having trouble," Auntie Minnie said, taking a sip of tea.

"Really? I would think that they would have gotten the hang of it better than I did, considering they grew up in a world where flying brooms was normal," I said, wrapping my hands around the tea cup.

Auntie shook her head. "Mr. Longbottom took a nasty fall early on in the term. Madam Hooch had to escort him to the infirmary for his fall. He isn't the first, and certainly won't be the last," she sighed. "Which oddly reminded me, tomorrow we will have a special Christmas dinner with the staff. Albus likes to treat us during the holidays, so make sure you come dressed."

"I always come dressed, Auntie. I don't think people would like to see me naked. Ow!" I was interrupted by Auntie Minnie's hand swatting my arm, followed by her laugh.

"But I will dress nicer for tomorrow night," I finished, rubbing my arm. "I think I'm going to stay in my room for the rest of the day, catch up on some reading." That was a total lie. I needed to wrap some presents before tomorrow night. Auntie Minnie nodded and gave me a peck on the cheek before she let me leave.

"Cocktail hour attire, Mia," she called to me as I walked out. "Albus likes to dance after dinner."

* * *

I'm not quite sure why, but I felt like wearing dark colors tonight. Tonight's outfit consisted of a fitted, navy blue dress, my wedges, and some black diamond studded earrings. My only pop of color was my pearl bracelet and my plum colored lipstick. I threw my hair up in a low bun, wanting to show off my earrings.

If this doesn't yell out cocktail hour, I don't know what does. I sprayed my _Vera Wang Princess_ on before picking up my gifts for Auntie Minnie and Severus and clicking my way out of the dungeons.

When I got to the Great Hall, the doors automatically opened. The area where faculty would normally sit was blocked off by a row of Christmas trees. There was a large table in the middle of the room, and on both sides was a long row of tables filled with food. I looked up, and it looked like snow was falling, candles floating all around.

"Mia, you look beautiful," Auntie Minnie said, walking up to me. I hugged her, handing her the truffles I had bought on our shopping day.

"Merry Christmas Auntie. I'm sorry it's not as great as a broom," I said shyly. I can't believe I just got her truffles.

She opened the bag and smiled. "Truffles, my favorite. Thank you dear." She gave me another hug. "May be next year you can get me chocolate covered strawberries," she joked. She noticed the box I was holding in my hand and pointed at it.

"Who is this for?" she asked, ever so curiously. I rolled my eyes.

"I, um, I bought something for Severus. He's helped me out quite a bit, I thought the least I could do is get him a gift for Christmas." I could feel myself getting nervous, doubting if he will like what I got him. I looked around to see if he was already here, but I didn't see the familiar coat and trousers.

"He's not here yet, dear. He had some business he needed to attend to. You can give it to him when he arrives." She motioned for me to take the chair next to hers. I set my gift on my chair and followed her to the buffet table. I was sandwiched between Auntie Minnie and Madame Hooch.

"So, I heard you flew for the first time Mia. Tell me, how did Minerva do?" Madame Hooch asked, playfully eyeing Auntie.

"You shush, Rolanda. Mia did quite well," Auntie said, defending herself. Madame Hooch then eyed me, probably expecting the truth.

"If falling off my broom several times is considered well, then yes. I did well," I said, shrugging. "I think my saving grace is that Auntie is a very patient woman."

"That she is," Madame Hooch agreed. Once we got to the end of the buffet tables, we walked back to our seats. Professor Dumbledore rose to the head of the table to prepare to speak once the rest of the staff have gotten their food. I was chatting with Auntie when I faintly heard the shuffle of the chair next to me. I looked over to see that Severus had sneaked in and he already had a plate of food.

"Glad you could make it," I whispered to him. He huffed. I could tell he wasn't in a good mood.

"Everything okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his knee. I could feel him stiffen, but then relaxed. He sighed, obviously frustrated in something. He laid his hand on top of mine.

"I'm just glad you are here where I can protect you," he said, his voice so low only I could hear. I'm not sure why he said that, but it was sweet nonetheless. I smiled before handing him his Christmas present under the table.

"Merry Christmas, Severus," I said, smiling and returning to my food. I could hear him opening the wrapper, but I couldn't look at him. I was too shy and I'm pretty sure my face was already as red as the ribbon wrapped around the Christmas trees. The tearing of the wrapper finally stopped, and I didn't hear anything besides the chatter of all the faculty and staff. I was laughing at one of Professor Sprout's jokes when I felt a hand on my knee. I looked over to Severus, whose face finally softened. He mouthed a 'Thank you' to me as he squeezed my knee. I patted his hand as he took it back and we returned to eating.

As soon as everyone was done, the table we were eating at vanished, and a large record player appeared in the back corner of the room. Familiar ballroom music started to play, and I could see Auntie Minnie walking my way.

"Care to humor an old lady and dance with her?" she asked me. I looked at Serverus, who had his eyebrow raised, then back at Auntie Minnie. She took my hand before I could answer and whisked me out onto the dance floor.

"Can you lead?" I asked her. I always followed in my ballroom dancing classes. I'm not very much of a leader. She nodded as we got into position and flowed through the dance floor. It was kind of funny, dancing with Auntie Minnie and not a guy, but it was so much fun. She can really lead.

"Since when did you learn how to lead like this? You make it look so easy," I asked, following her steps.

"Well, when you get to my age, dear, you learn quite a bit. Leading in ballroom dancing was one of them. Besides," she said, spinning me around the dance floor. "This gives me time to talk to you about Severus."

"Auntie!" I laughed, blushing. I'm glad we were moving around and no one can really hear our conversation. I told her about our date, but conveniently left out the part where Lucas crashed the end of it. She was pleased to hear he was really a gentleman and knew there was more to life than just brooding and brewing.

"You know, Mia, I haven't seen him like this since he was a student here. There was this one girl he was completely head over heels for – the same way he is for you." Could she be talking about Lily?

"It never worked out for them. Such a shame, but that is why Severus is the way he is. I must admit, I can see some of her in you, which explains why he has such interest in you. With your genius mind to boot, you are irresistible to him." I snorted rather loudly. She had a way with words, I guess.

"Irresistible? What happened to being tolerable?" I asked, remembering when I had asked Severus if I was tolerable for him.

"My dear, I think you are past tolerable. Merlin, the man has taken you out to dinner and he has let you invade his personal space more than he has invaded it himself. I think you are on to something." We came to a stop as Professor Dumbledore came to greet us.

"You ladies seem to be enjoying yourselves," the Headmaster said, smiling. "I didn't know you had a set of feet on you, Mia."

"Ballroom classes will do wonders, Professor," I said, respectfully. I walked back towards where Severus was standing, letting Professor Dumbledore take Auntie Minnie for a spin on the dance floor. I sighed as I stood next to him and he handed me a glass of wine.

"I didn't know you were quite the dancer," Severus said, taking a sip of what looked like firewhiskey.

I shook my head. "I'm a follower, and Auntie Minnie can really lead you. I just knew where to step at the right time." I was mid sip when I saw his hand come to steal my drink away. I pouted, missing my wine.

"Come. Let's take a walk." I took his hand and we walked out of the Great Hall, no one batting an eye at us. I linked my arm around his, standing close so that I could feel his body heat.

"Thank you, again, for the gift. It was very thoughtful of you," he said, looking at me. I shrugged, not really thinking much about it.

"You're my friend, Severus. Friends get their friends gifts for Christmas." I looked at him, and I could tell he was thinking about something. We continued our walk through the halls and corridors. At some point doing our walk, my hand reached his and our fingers intertwined. He didn't seem to mind and I didn't either. It was totally unexpected, but it felt so right. We slowed down when we arrived at the infamous garden. It was nighttime, and it was lit solely by the moonlight. He motioned for me to sit next to him on a bench. Our hands stayed intertwined, laying on his leg.

"You know," I started, raising our intertwined hands at eye level. "This makes us look and feel like we're more than friends. Is friendship seen differently here in the wizarding world?" I knew it meant the same, I sort of meant that as a joke. He laughed, thankfully catching it.

"I assure you, friendship is the same in both the muggle world and the wizarding world. I agree this would hint at something more. We can cease to hold hands, if you wish." I shook my head. Not by a long shot, buddy.

"Are you ready to talk about your relationship with Lucas?" he asked carefully. I froze for a second, not quite sure how to answer. I wasn't expecting him to ask this on Christmas. It made me wonder though: _am I ready?_ I have never really opened up to anyone about the relationship we had, mostly because I didn't know how to describe it. I didn't want Severus to feel me shaking, so I let go of his hand, reluctantly, and shoved both my hands under my thighs.

"In a nutshell, he was abusive. Sometimes he would hurt me because of something I did. Sometimes he would hurt me because of something else, which meant he would take it out on me. On good days he would just slap me in the face a few times. On his worst, I would pass out from the pain, but when I came to he was always there making sure I felt better. That was his game. Pleasure and pain, but more pain than pleasure. I guess you can say it was more like my pain for his pleasure.

"He never really took me out on dates, we just stayed home most days. The only other time we saw each other was work. He was my supervisor, and that was how we met. He put up a nice front until I was so far in I couldn't get out of what we had. When my parents died, that was when he swooped in, and is probably where I screwed up. I let him in too much because I was so distraught still from my parents death.

I finally got the courage to leave him when I got wind of this job from Auntie Minnie. It was my only shot, and if I didn't take it…" I was definitely shaking by now as I was trying to fight back tears.

"If I didn't take it, I would have been dead. Not by him, but by my own hand."

We were both quiet for a few minutes. He seemed to be thinking about everything I had just said.

"Lucas genuinely screwed up my life. I was never like this before I met him. I don't know if I could ever be normal again. And now that he's here, in this world, and he's trying to get me again…"

I looked up at Severus, and he looked at me with eyes that showed compassion, comfort, and anger, all at the same time.

"I can't be saved. Severus… as long as he is around, this is all we will ever be. Friends." He pulled my hand from under my thigh and held onto it again, determination set in his eyes.

"We are making progress, whether you see it or not. I already knew we were more than friends by the time I took you to London. So, unfortunately, Mia, you are wrong. We have grown to be more than friends, and I want to keep growing with you." He held my hand tighter.

"I've almost figured out your situation with Lucas, and I will take care of it when the time is right. I just need you to trust me and listen to me when I need you to. You can be saved, Mia. Despite what you think, you are worth saving." He let go on my hand for a minute to fish something out of his pocket. He held it in his hand for a minute, then held out the box to me. It was a simple, ordinary black box with a silver bow on top. He held it out for me to take.

"Friends get friends gifts, correct?" he asked, mockingly.

"I thought we weren't friends," I said, taking the box and giving him a look. I untied the bow and opened the box.

My eyes couldn't believe what was inside. It was the same necklace I was looking at when Lucas found me. It took me a minute to realize my mouth was open before I closed it. I looked at him, and I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

"Do you like it? I heard from a certain cat that you were eyeing this in a store," he said, trying to gauge my reaction.

"Did Auntie Minnie tell you to buy this? Because you really didn't have to. I would have been fine with a card," I said, taking the necklace out of the box.

"She didn't, actually. I had went to her after I made this purchase, and she – quite excitedly – shared her story of looking at this specific piece of jewelry. She seems to be a firm believer that fate is pulling us together." He took the necklace out of my hand as he stood behind me to put it on. I picked up the pendant as he clipped it on, rubbing my thumb over the green diamonds. He rested his hands on my shoulders as he gently kissed my temple.

"Happy Christmas, love."


	10. Chapter 10: Happy New Year

**A/N:** Hello! Hope everyone had a fabulous week! There is not much to say for this chapter, except that we have another character being introduced that will eventually become a very important character down the line. Poor Mia just can't seem to catch a break! Maybe. ;D... see you all in the reviews!

* * *

 **Chapter 10:** _Happy New Year_

* * *

The holiday break was almost over, which meant that these empty halls would once again be filled with the sound of students chatting and walking to their classes. I really took these last few days to explore the castle and to really familiarize myself with the place. I knew the more common places by heart, but I wanted to have the chance to explore each corner before the students arrive.

I arrived at the Astronomy tower, and walked the stairs that took me to the very top. There was a huge opening on the wall that looked out onto the horizon. It was a beautiful view; I could only imagine what it looked like when the students were here in the dead of night. I heard footsteps behind me, and I was surprised to see Professor Quirrell coming up the stairs.

"Hello Professor," I said, respectfully. He gave me a small smile, but seemed uncomfortable.

"M-Ms. Taylor. I… I have a message for you," he said, before turning around and starting to undo his turban. I looked at him confused, trying to figure out why he wanted to show me the back of his head.

"Professor?" I asked. "I'm not sure what you are trying to tell me."

When he was done removing the cloth, I realized the back of his head was occupied by a face. There were no distinct features, just eyes, a half formed nose, and a mouth. It breathed in a large amount of air before looking at me.

"Mia Taylor," the face greeted me. The voice sounded familiar. It was like the voice that was in my head that one night. I tried to look away, but something was making me look at it. The face grinned at me, as if it was plotting something sinister.

"I have heard much about you. Your magic is something that has never happened before. And, it is very, very powerful." The face made Professor Quirrell take one step towards me. "You will make a formidable enemy to anyone – including myself. But, you will also make for a powerful ally. When the time is right, and I have returned, you will walk side by side with me."

"I don't know who the hell you are, but I am not going anywhere with you," I spat out, trying to leave. Professor Quirrell quickly turned around so he was facing me again, and held out his wand. He looked scared, but he was determined to take me out if he needed to.

I thought about Severus at that moment, and wished so hard that he was here to help me. I was essentially cornered, and I had no way of getting out. Although I'm pretty good with my magic, I wouldn't know the first thing to defending myself in a situation like this. Tears started to flood my vision as I grabbed the necklace that he gave me for Christmas. I wasn't sure why I was holding it, but it made me feel safe.

"Please, Professor. Just let me go. I won't tell anyone about what happened up here," I begged, looking at the stairs that will lead me to safety. He stopped for a moment, as if he was listening to someone. He looked at me and nodded.

"The Dark Lord will call upon you when you are needed. Until then, you are to say nothing. Are we clear?" I nodded before running out of the tower.

I didn't stop running until I had gotten back to my room. I was sweating and panting, and trying to process what had just happened. My hands were shaking and I couldn't seem to make them stop. I could feel the familiar tightness enveloping my chest, making it hard to breathe. I took a vial of Calming Draught that I had kept under my pillow for instances like these, and drank it as fast as I could. Almost instantly, I could feel my panic attack coming to an end. I breathed a sigh of relief, resting my head on the pillow. A knock came a few minutes later, interrupting my chance to return to normal.

"Come in!" I yelled, sitting up and rubbing my face. I felt like a mess. Two large hands came to rest on my shoulders, and I looked up to see Severus looking at me with concern.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking me over. "Minerva said she heard running in the hallway, and noticed it was you."

"I-" I stopped myself, remembering that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone what happened at the Astronomy Tower. "I was at the Astronomy Tower, just looking around, and then I had a panic attack and I ran back here before I wasn't able to. That's all."

He looked at me like he didn't believe me. "Are you sure that's all that happened? Are you in danger of any kind?" Yes, but I can't tell you.

"If you mean with Lucas, then no. He hasn't tried to communicate with me recently. I already took a Calming Draught and I'm getting better. I think I just got claustrophobic." I looked at him, hoping he wouldn't question me further. He sighed before taking a seat next to me on the bed.

"If there is anything you need, or if you ever feel like you're in danger, I urge you to please tell me. I could help you, even if you think I can't," he said, very seriously. I looked at him, surprised. I'm starting to wonder if he knew about what really happened up there. He took my hand and intertwined it with his.

"It's been a long time since I was able to call someone a true friend," he started. "I already lost one, I'm not ready to lose another one."

I looked at him, confused at what he meant by that last part. No matter what happens, he will never lose me a friend. Even if this whole dating thing doesn't work out, I still want to be friends. He can't get rid of me that easily.

"Enough of this talk. Would you like to continue your work with potions? I think it will be a welcoming distraction for you," he asked, running his thumb along the side of my hand. I looked at him and smiled as he led me out of my room.

"Remind me to lend you one of my Chemistry books today. It's been in my head but I always forget when I get an opportunity," I mentioned as we walked down the hallway to his classroom. Once we entered the room, he waved his hand, and the door shut and clicked to lock itself.

"Before we start on today's potions, there is something I need to discuss with you," he said, finally letting my hand go. This didn't sound too good. I started to feel uncomfortable as he motioned for me to sit down.

"I wanted to have another session with you today, in terms of helping you with your Dark Magic. I know that recently – with the exception of what happened at the Astronomy Tower – you have been fairly calm and have been in good spirits. I'm curious to see if my aid is only beneficial when you are in the midst of having an attack, or if we can proceed on a regular basis." He looked at me as I pondered what he said. There shouldn't be any harm in figuring that out. It would be great if I had more control of that part of me, especially with the last half of the school year staring and having to (seriously) prepare for classes.

"I don't see any problem with that," I told him, shrugging. He nodded, pleased that I had agreed to our impromptu session.

"There is also another matter I wish to discuss," he said, resting his hands behind his back. "I know Minerva is purposefully not telling you this, and she asked that I be the one to tell you."

I started to feel more uncomfortable as he spoke.

"It seems there is a sense of danger within the castle walls. As with the procedures, all Hogwarts staff should be prepared – at any time, really – to defend the school and the students should the need arises. Although there is little credit to this assumption, Minerva has asked me to train you on some simple defensive and offensive spells, should this danger prove to be legitimate."

My eyes widened. There is a threat toward the school? Does it have anything to do with the face that's living on Professor Quirrell? I ran my hands over my face, trying to process what has just been said to me.

"Um, okay. It will be hard to defend myself – or the students – if I'm panicking, though," I said, feeling unsure of myself.

"That is why I wanted to meet with you after we were done here. I wanted to see if we can make those sessions more frequent, and tomorrow we will start with your training. All I ask is that you trust me. I will not hurt you or push you to anything you wouldn't want to do. That is the last thing I would ever want to do to you."

It relieved me to know that he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I never thought he would ever put me in a situation like that, but it was nice to hear it from him. I sighed, looking over at the work table. There were already ingredients laid out on the table, a cauldron, and a few tools.

"Now, that we have addressed those issues," Severus drawled, walking to stand next to me. "Before we start brewing our usual, I would like to see if you can identify what potion these ingredients would produce. Only until you answer correctly will I allow you to begin brewing."

I rested my chin on my hand as I looked over the various ingredients, the cauldron, and various tools. There was water already warming in the cauldron, and on the table laid a couple of Ashwinder eggs, a handful of rose thorns, a pinch of peppermint (which smelled really good), and moonstone. I contemplated for a moment before I started to voice my thoughts.

"Is this supposed to be some type of love potion?" I asked, running the moonstone over my fingers. I looked at Severus as he nodded.

"I'm impressed, you seem to really be studying the material I have presented to you," he said, rather proudly. "Obviously, this is a potion that Madame Pompfrey will most definitely not be needing in the infirmary. Once you have completed the potion, we shall leave it in my storeroom."

I nodded as I opened the potions book and began preparing the ingredients for brewing. Severus left me to my own devices, focusing on prepping as much of the ingredients he could that were needed to brew the batch of medical potions. We worked in silence, except for the one time he checked my cauldron and mumbled "good".

Severus had finished before me, but I was not far behind. The peppermint was the last ingredient, I just had to wait for the stirring to complete. Luckily, this potion was a "labor of love" ("Isn't it so fitting for such a potion," Severus sarcastically commented), so no magic was needed, but my arm was getting quite the workout from the stirring.

"I see you are just about finished," he said, coming behind me. I nodded, picking up the pinch of peppermint.

"This is the last one, and it should be done," I said, dropping the peppermint into the cauldron. Suddenly, the liquid in the cauldron turned a light pink, almost blush color, and the steam coming from the cauldron was red and pink, dancing around one another and making a heart shape before dissolving into the air.

The room smelled heavenly.

"Wow. This potion smells potent," I said, relishing in the scents. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but my head was resting against his chest. It didn't really matter, though. My hand came up to hold the pendant that dangled from my neck, my thumb running across the green diamonds.

"What do you smell?" he asked, his voice close to my ears. I turned to look at him, and suddenly started longing for his lips to meet with mine.

Damn this potion to hell.

"I smell lavender…"

Our faces began to move closer to each other. He was so close…

"Rose petals…"

So close…

"And-"

"Yes, Mia?" I could feel his breath on my lips.

"Sandalwood."

It seemed like forever that we were staring at each other. There was so much tension, I could probably cut it with a butter knife. The only other time I was this close to Severus was Christmas, when he had given me the necklace, but that was nearly a week ago.

This whole situation was heady, considering I was confronted by a two-faced (literally) professor just hours before. Now I am here staring into Severus's eyes, wanting more. I was broken out of my train of thought when I heard a clank. I looked over to see that a lid was placed on the cauldron, all the delicious scents ceasing to exist. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he casted the familiar stasis charm to hold the potion in its place. I turned around, dusting myself off before grabbing a couple of vials to pour the potion into. I uncorked both vials as Severus took out his wand and wordlessly levitated the potion into the vials evenly. I recorked the bottles as he walked over to his desk to retrieve his quill, handing it over to me to write "Love Potion" on the labels.

"Leave them here, I will take care of it later today," he said, never taking his eyes off of me. "Shall we begin our batch for today?" I nodded as we walked over to the other side of the bench to work on more familiar potions.

Before we knew it, we had a basket full of vials ready to be delivered to the hospital wing, it was nearing lunch time, so we decided to walk together to deliver the basket then make our way to the Great Hall to eat.

* * *

 _The sun was at its highest, but the warmth wasn't overwhelming. I could feel the heat soaking into my skin. I looked out towards the lake, ripples subtly making their way towards the shore. I walked up to where the grass ended and the sand and rocks started, picking up a decent size pebble before throwing it and watching it skip 3 times before falling to the bottom of the lake._

 _I felt like I was out here all day, watching the stones skip then sink. It was so peaceful out here. I looked up and could see a few owls flying towards the castle, and a few flying away. These must be the same owls that I see in the Great Hall to drop off mail for students and staff. I gazed back towards the lake, imagining what could be beyond the lake that I couldn't see._

 _Suddenly I felt someone sit behind me, their legs coming on either side of me. They wrapped their arms around me, nuzzling into my hair._

 _"I thought I would find you here," said a familiar, silky, baritone voice. He kissed the side of my neck, lolling my head to one side._

 _"Severus," I sighed, welcoming his warmth and his love. We sat here in silence, looking at the lake and enjoying each other's presence._

 _"Is this really how you want to spend a day like this?" he asked after a few minutes. I looked at him like he was crazy._

 _"Days like this calls for staring at nature. Helps me not go crazy in the castle," I said, turning back to look at the lake. He chuckled as he held me closer._

 _"Well, I was hoping I would be able to steal you away from nature for the remainder of the day. I needed to run a few errands, and thought it would be best if we just made a whole day of it."_

 _I shrugged, teasing him about the whole idea. Of course I would say yes, but it wouldn't hurt to make him work a little bit for the answer. I turned around so now I was fully facing him, my eyes never leaving his beautiful face. I didn't care what anyone said about his hooked nose or greasy hair. They were my hooked nose and my greasy hair, and I loved every inch of this man, inside and out._

 _"If you were to steal me from this beautiful scenery, where would you take me?" I inquired. His lips curled up into a smile._

 _"Ah, but that is the beauty of stealing you away. I get to take you wherever I see fit, and I don't have to tell you where we're going." He looked at me victoriously as I pouted in defeat. This wasn't working as well as I planned._

 _He kissed away my pouty lips, replacing them with smiling ones. "Much better," he said, kissing me once more. His lips on mine was like heaven on a plate._

 _"A smile on the face of the woman who will be my wife is more acceptable than pouty lips."_

 _Wait._

 _"What?" I said, registering the words in my head. "Wife?" There was more to that question, but somehow only 'wife' seemed to be able to come out of my_ _mouth. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it, showing a beautiful diamond ring._

 _"Is this real?" I asked. I obviously didn't know how to respond when a diamond ring was presented to me. I'm pretty sure I was supposed to be a blubbering mess by this point, but that - clearly - did not register in my mind._

 _"Don't be so daft," he laughed. "Of course it is. I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you by my side. I've always said you were mine. Now, I want you to be mine – forever." He took the ring out of the box as I held out my left hand to him. After putting the ring on, he took out his wand and tapped lightly on the side of the ring, and I felt it re-size itself to fit my finger._

 _It was beautiful. I can't believe that we got to this point in our relationship. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him._

* * *

I was well-rested after having that nap after lunch. I was so full, I told Severus to give me a couple of hours to rest before we began our session for today. I was able to take a quick shower before it was time for us to meet. I threw my still damp hair into a bun before sitting at my piano to strike random keys.

I still remember the first arrangement I was able to play in its entirety. I closed my eyes, thinking about all the peaceful times I've had with this piano. Naturally, my hands rested on the keys and began to play Johann Pachelbel's _Canon in D Major_. I closed my eyes again as I played, remembering every single little detail about this piece. It felt like this arrangement was a part of me, I always get a rush from playing it. As it ended, I could hear someone applauding behind me. I turned to see Severus standing there. I've never seen him look so peaceful since I've met him.

"That was beautiful. I could listen to you play all day," he said, leaning up against the wall. He seemed to have been entranced by my playing. I smiled, glad that he liked what he got to hear. "Sorry for just walking in, by the way," he added, shyly.

"It's okay. The piano was always my first love," I told him, letting my fingers run along the keys. "When I'm able to really be on my own for hours, I would spend a lot time with her." I sighed as I watched him walk over to me, standing next to the piano.

"Would you like to have today's session here? You seem awfully comfortable and it would be unfortunate to re-locate you elsewhere," he asked, almost jokingly.

I shook my head as I laughed. "You're impossible, but yes, I'd like to spend some time with my piano today if we could." He nodded as he rested his hands behind his back.

"I will conduct this session similar to how it was previously. I will ask you to start playing, and I will attempt to release the Dark Magic that is within you."

"If you don't mind me asking, but what is it that you're actually doing? I remember when we did this the last time, I felt a surge of energy coming from me. What happens when you use your magic on me?" I looked at him curiously as he thought of a response.

"The spell that I'm using is actually two fold. First, it will do a diagnostic on your whole body and every system, and will identify any traces of Dark Magic. Second, any Dark Magic that it senses, the spell will redirect that magic to leave you completely.

From the information I have been able to gather, there is Dark Magic that is in you that is constantly replenishing itself. When your body cannot take the amount of Dark Magic, your body needs to find a way to expel it. This could be through your inability to sleep, or nightmares, or even your anxiety.

The Dark Magic seems to also be triggered by certain events. For example, your incident with Ms. Granger and the troll, when you had knocked the troll unconscious that was due to your Dark Magic. You were under a great state of duress, and your body seemed to have reacted on its own.

There is some good to this discovery. Although it is Dark Magic that you possess, Minerva and I both knew you had magic and we had an opportunity to help you discover what you're capable of. Hence why Minerva has been teaching you how to use your magic. I have also observed that with these new findings that the more you are exposed to more enjoyable parts of magic, or situations and atmospheres that are more desirable, your Dark Magic replenishes at a much slower rate. If we can teach you to harness the Dark Magic inside of you and teach you how to keep it from overflowing within you, that just might be able to buy us some time to find a more permanent solution."

Cancer. That's what he made it sound like. The Dark Magic was like some cancerous tumor that won't go away, and our sessions were my chemotherapy. It was a lot to take in, but at least now I had answers to questions that have been swimming in my head for a while.

"But how did it get there in the first place?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to hear the answer, though.

He shook his head. "Your guess is as good as mine. Believe me, once I find out, and if anyone is behind it, they will be well on their way to Azkaban if I don't finish them first," he said, gritting his teeth. My eyes widened at his sudden response. I would never peg him to be the aggressive type. Intimidating, yes, but not one to lay a hand on someone. He closed his eyes and sighed, calming down before he looked at me again.

"When you're ready, go ahead and play," he said calmly. I nodded as I also took a deep breath, already deciding on my music of choice. I rested my hands on the keys, counting to three before starting to play.

I could feel myself losing all of my senses to the keys. My eyes closed again as I swayed to the song. I started to hear Severus, but quickly tuned him out, returning to my thoughts. Lucas's face didn't appear this time behind my eyelids, although the familiar sense of darkness was enveloping me again. There was a figure off in the distance, walking towards me. As the figure slowly came into focus, I could tell that it was Severus. With a flick of his wand, the dark curtain that seemed to drape over me flew away in wisps. Once all the darkness was taken away, he just stood there, looked at me, and smiled. The song ended, and I opened my eyes to look at him.

"Did it work? I didn't feel anything that time," I asked, trying to recall if I felt that surge rock through my body.

"Yes, Mia, it worked. Once the initial diagnostic was ran, I could see a subtle ripple effect emanating from you. If you can maintain the Dark Magic at these levels, then you should be able to go about your daily life without much hassle. We should not have a problem when we begin your training tomorrow."

I was relieved to hear that. I will have to pay more attention to myself so that I can catch any signs of it returning. Severus finally left his spot next to the piano and sat down next to me. I didn't notice it before (or maybe I just wasn't paying that much attention), but I could faintly smell Sandalwood on him. Did he always smell like that? The scent was very prominent in the love potion, but on Severus, it was very subtle.

"Can I ask you a question about the love potion you had me brew today?" He seemed surprised by my question, but nodded.

"How was it I was able to smell those distinctive scents? Obviously, there was no lavender, no rose petals, and no sandalwood in the mixture. The only one remotely close would have been the rose thorns, but I don't think they would have had the power to produce such a fragrance."

"Love potions are something special," he started, shifting in his seat on the bench. "Love potions tend to attract anyone near them, as you experienced, and as did I. That is why I placed the lid on the cauldron. You didn't brew the potion wrong, but it was strong enough to elicit its effect on us without actually ingesting the potion."

I must say, I was pretty proud of myself for being able to brew a potion so strong that its effects were seen on us without having to drink it. I wonder what Severus smelled when we were there. I think I'll save that question for another time, though.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" he asked. I thought for a second, and realized that it was New Year's Eve.

"No. Do you?" I asked.

"We usually have a gathering in the Great Hall for New Year's Eve, and then they head out onto the pitch to watch magical fireworks at the stroke of midnight. There is a part of this castle that will have a great view of the fireworks show, if you'd like to join me." He gave a small smile.

"I'd love to," I said, smiling back. "I just need to change before we go." After getting out of the shower, I had changed into some clean pajama shirt and pants, definitely not appropriate for New Year's Eve.

"There's no rush. I was hoping we could have dinner in my quarters tonight before taking off for the tower." I nodded in agreement. We still had a few hours before midnight.

"How about I change and get ready, and I'll meet you in your room? I'll only be about an hour." Severus agreed and got up to leave.

"I will see you in an hour, love." He gave me a soft kiss on the cheek before leaving.

* * *

I looked out the window once I walked through the door into Severus's room, and noticed the sky was clear. It was going to be a beautiful night. He took my hand as he led me out onto his balcony. There was a small table with two chairs and a skinny vase holding three roses. As he pulled out my chair to have me sit, I leaned over to smell the roses. They smelled so fresh, and the red in the petals was so vibrant. It was very romantic.

Our meals were already set on the table: bowtie chicken pesto with garlic bread. My favorite! He waved his hand and the stasis charm he had over the food disappeared and we began to eat. He poured both of us a glass of wine, which paired perfectly with our pasta.

"Any new year's resolutions for you?" I asked, taking a sip of the wine.

Severus looked at me quite confused. "Resolutions? I don't think I follow."

"May be it's something you guys don't follow. Usually for the new year, we make resolutions. They're kind of like our goals to reach and they are usually something that will make us better." I looked at him as he thought about the concept.

"Most people say their resolution is to lose weight and work out, but that only lasts for the first couple of months before they give up," I laughed, thinking about the one year I did this.

"Do you have a new year's resolution, Mia?" he asked, cocking his head to one side.

I thought about it for a second, it hasn't really changed, but now that I'm here, maybe I should switch things up. "I have a few. One is to be able to use my magic like it's second nature to me. My second one is to have more control over my anxiety, but that's been an ongoing resolution for me. My last one is to let go of my past. I need to move on if I want to move forward, so I think it's time for me to put it all behind me."

He nodded, looking at his plate that only had a few pieces of pasta and chicken left. I took a large swig of my wine. "Obviously you don't have to be as deep and philosophical like me," I added, hoping he wasn't getting the wrong idea. "You don't even need to do it at all if you don't want to."

"The concept piques my interest, but I feel I would have to sit and think about what mine would be," he said, finishing his plate.

"By all means, if you want to do it then do it. You don't even have to tell me, either. But," I said, waving my finger. "If you really mean them, then you have to hold yourself accountable for reaching them."

We finished our wine and I could see Severus wave his hand and a clock appeared by his side. It was thirty minutes to midnight. He motioned for me to stand and he led me up the stairs and through the door. It brought us to his office, which went out into his classroom, and then we walked out into the hallway. He brought me to a spiral staircase and we went all the way up to the top. There was a small landing and a floor to ceiling opening that overlooked past the castle grounds.

I looked out to see little dots on the ground walking towards the Quidditch pitch. That must be the rest of the staff coming out to see the fireworks.

"I must admit, Filius can put on a good fireworks show. Last year he had dragons fly around the pitch," Severus said, leaning up against the wall by the opening.

"I've never seen a dragon made out of fireworks before. Our fireworks are kind of boring. They were just big balls of pyro that sparkled different colors or made different popping sounds." I think the only time I thought fireworks were cool was when we would take our family trips to Disneyland. They always put on an elaborate fireworks show, complete with music and a flying Tinkerbell! That was my favorite part.

Severus chuckled, standing next to me as we both looked out. It was almost time. "I can assure you, you will enjoy this."

"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"

Right on cue, I could see the little cases of pyro rise into the air and explode. The first few looked like normal fireworks – the ones I knew about. The rest took on a total life of their own. Three cases exploded at the same time, the embers spraying out to spell "Happy New Year" in the air. Off to the left, another one exploded into the shape of two people dancing with each other. A handful of casings went up into the air, and was spread out through the length of the Quidditch pitch. They exploded and each turned into horses that galloped around, weaving in and out of the towers. One flew past us and I could feel the gust of air.

I went to grab Severus's hand as I leaned up against his side. Our fingers intertwined as we stood there and watched the rest of the show. The view from up here was breathtaking. I wouldn't mind spending New Years here every year.

The show finally ended and we watched as everyone made their way back inside the castle to wind down for the night. Once it was quiet again, we turned to look at each other. He took my other hand so he was holding both of my hands. He brought them up to his shoulders so that I could wrap my arms around his neck. Unfortunately, I was not wearing any kind of shoes with height, so I had to rise up onto my toes. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around my waist, holding me close.

"Happy new year, Severus," I said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. Before my lips could reach their intended target though, Severus turned his head so his lips met mine.

Another fireworks show started, but it was only for an audience of one – me.

* * *

 **Chapter Notes:** For the love potion used in this chapter, I had gone off of the Harry Potter wiki for a general love potion. I was initially going to use Amortentia but I changed my mind, and also added the peppermint part because I felt like it was still missing something, and peppermint sounded good at the time.


	11. Chapter 11: Professor Taylor

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I am SO sorry this update took so long. I just got promoted at work (yay!) and I just spent the last 2 weeks doing some intensive training, so I just couldn't find the time to sit, edit, and post. Now that it's Friday and it's not so crazy, I'm finally here! lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter! My updates might be a little more slower now that I just got busier, but I promise I will see this story to the very end (which is still far from now!).

* * *

 **Chapter 11:** _Professor Taylor, Reporting for Duty_

* * *

"Expelliarmus!" I yelled, seeing a red flash of light escape my wand and hit the wand Severus was holding. I saw the wand twitch, but it did not disarm him like I wanted to.

"You are almost there, I can feel it," he said, encouraging me to do it again. I huffed, disappointed that I still wasn't able to disarm him. I was determined this time, though.

He took his stance, and I took mine, pointing my wand at his and yelling "Expelliarmus!" with more force than before. Finally, when the red light hit his wand, it knocked it right out of his grip and onto the floor behind him. He looked at me proudly as I hunched over trying to catch my breath.

"I never realized how much energy that would take," I said, still trying to even out my breathing. He came over and patted me on the shoulder.

"You should be very proud of yourself. You are able to learn fairly quickly and master whatever is set forth to you in a short amount of time. I think you will become a force to be reckoned with," he said, handing me a glass of water. His statement vaguely reminded me of what happened in the Astronomy tower, but I shook the thought, not wanting to spoil this moment. I gladly took the cup, the cold water feeling amazing as it dripped down my throat. "When you are able, we shall practice your shields again before we are done for the night."

I groaned, not really excited about being hit by his hexes again. He threw a couple at me in the beginning of our training, so I knew what they felt like and could see what to expect. Although they were only meant to sting, they still hurt quite a bit. Once I was able to stand without gasping for breath, I readied myself, nodding to him that I was ready.

"Just like last time. One, two, three-"

"PROTEGO!"

I could see the hex coming right at me, and then suddenly it bounced off of the shield I had casted and made its way back toward Severus. He swiftly moved his wand in a circle to protect himself from his own hex. From the look on his face, he was not expecting that, but I wasn't either. I had only managed to make it dissipate once it hit my shield, except for the handful of times when I didn't cast it in time and the hex actually hit me. We both stood there, speechless, letting the silence fill the room.

He looked at me as I walked towards him. I hope I didn't hurt him.

"Are you okay?" I asked, stopping just a few steps in front of him. He didn't answer me for a few minutes. "Severus? Did I hurt you?" I asked again, taking another step closer. Although we are practicing, and the whole point of this is to defend myself, I would never want to hurt him. I'd feel terrible if he was hurt.

He closed the gap between us, and cupped my face in his hands. "You are an amazing human being. Where have you been all my life?"

* * *

It has been almost 3 weeks since the students have arrived back from their holiday break. I haven't been out of my room much, besides being with Severus to help with potions, or to work on my spells, or to have our "therapy sessions", as I call it. Having that time with Severus has helped tremendously, but now that I have it under control (for the most part), now I wonder about everything else. How did it all start? Did I always have this magic? Will it ever go away? Every time I ask Severus he always tells me he's working on it, which leads me to believe that he's hiding something from me. I don't blame him, though. May be it's better if I didn't know about it. His enthusiasm for my training with him is really rubbing off on me, though. He makes me feel so confident in myself, which is something I've lacked for quite some time.

Auntie Minnie had a free period before lunch, so she offered to show me my classroom and office and helped me set up. The classroom was large, but nowhere as big as what I thought it would be. There were four rows of desks that could hold two students each, four desks per row. The front section of the class was slightly raised from the rest of the room. There was one large desk – my desk – along with a chair similar to the ones used in the Great Hall, a large chalkboard, and a screen that looked like it belonged to a projector. Bookcases lined the wall behind my desk. There was one window that illuminated the whole classroom, and it spanned the whole length of the wall that was behind my desk.

"You can certainly personalize your classroom as you see fit. We can always take a trip if you'd like to purchase more," Auntie said, waving her wand to dust off the classroom. I sat down at my desk, resting my hands on the hard wooden table. It was making it more real now that I would be a teacher here. For the past few months I felt more like a guest, but now I'm actually getting ready to teach! It's rather exciting.

"That door right there," Auntie Minnie said, pointing to the door on my right, "goes straight into your office. When you have free period, you're more than welcome to spend time in there to do what you please. I like to use my office for when it's busy and I don't want to be in my personal quarters."

I looked at her with curiosity. "Can we go in and see my office?" She chuckled as she motioned for me to follow her. As she opened the door, dust flew everywhere. I started sneezing like a mad woman, hunching over with every "ah-choo". Auntie quickly flicked her wand and the dust ceased to exist.

"Thank you," I said, very congested now from all the dust. She turned to me, made a "tsk" and tapped her wand on my nose. Suddenly, I felt all the congestion leave my nose and my sinuses, my nasal passageways clearer than when I had walked into the classroom.

"Can you teach me that on our next lesson?" I asked her. "That will be very helpful during allergy season."

Auntie Minnie laughed. "In time, my dear. As you can see it's not much but you can personalize it as much as you would like." The office was small, but I could work with the space. It had a desk in the center, a fireplace to help keep the room warm, a small bookcase, and two chairs for guests. I think another trip to London is in order. We walked out of the office and back into the classroom. I hopped onto one of the student desks, swinging my legs.

"This is great, Auntie. I love it. I'm starting to get really excited about teaching." It will be a great distraction from everything.

"That's wonderful to hear. I'm so happy you decided to come here. It makes it easier for me to look after you. How are you and Severus doing?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.

I shook my head. "We're doing fine. We're still meeting twice a week to play therapist, but it's definitely helping. He said may be after a few more sessions he will be able to start teaching me to do it on my own."

She smiled, looking relieved that I was doing better. "I'm happy to hear that my dear. Oh-" Auntie went into her pocket to fish out a piece of parchment.

"The Headmaster thought it would be beneficial to have your presence more known on the school grounds, so he has instructed me to add you into the nightly staff rounds and the chaperone rotation for our Hogsmeade trips." She opened up the piece of parchment before handing it to me. "I wanted to pair you with Severus, since you're already _comfortable_ with him-"

"Auntie!" I laughed.

"-so, you will be chaperoning with Severus this Saturday. He always tries to excuse himself from his chaperoning duties, but I will bet you five chocolate frogs he will not try to after learning he will be with you." I blushed, knowing she was definitely setting this up. She hooked her arm through mine while we made our way out and to the Great Hall to eat. "You are also going to shadow Severus on the nightly rounds tomorrow night. He has a knack for catching every last student out past curfew, you can learn a lot from him."

I laughed, shaking my head again. "You are impossible, Auntie."

"Impossibly good," she said, swatting my arm.

* * *

I don't know why I was nervous about going on nightly rounds. Maybe it has something to do with being out in the dark, quiet halls, or maybe it could be just this constant fear that things happen to me when the sun goes down. Either way, it couldn't be so bad since Severus is with me. I'm still not that good at my defensive and offensive spells yet, but may be if there's some real trouble, I could get some practice in.

I figured since I will be something of an authoritative figure tonight, I took it as an opportunity to start testing out my teaching attire. I knew what it was like for faculty in my world, but here they wear more than just trousers and a nice blouse. I knew we're walking most of the time, so I wore flats in an effort to save myself from angry feet later. Comfortable black trousers and a dark blue blouse seemed fitting for tonight; I almost looked like a policeman. I threw on my teaching robes and had my hair half up and half down. Simple, yet professional. I was looking at myself in the mirror when I heard a knock at my door.

"Good evening, Severus," I said, letting him into my room. I saw his eyes subtly look me over, which made my face a lot redder than it should be. I guess robes can be a good fashion accessory here.

"Auntie Minnie told me you are an expert on catching students past curfew," I teased, leaning against the fireplace. He kept staring at me, not acknowledging my statement.

"Earth to Professor Snape," I said, snapping my fingers. He finally shook his head, coming back to reality. I laughed, knowing his reaction is probably stemming from my sudden change in attire. "Didn't think I could pull off teaching robes like you, huh?" I said, crossing my arms victoriously.

"I apologize, Mia, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable," he said, leaving his place by the couch and walking towards me.

"Forgive me if I am using this phrase incorrectly, but you are a sight for sore eyes," he said, running his hands up and down my arms. I shivered, chuckling at his choice of words. He kissed the top of my head as he squeezed my hands.

"Come. Let us start our rounds and send these rule-breaking students back where they belong," he drawled.

Auntie Minnie was not kidding about Severus catching every single student that's out past curfew. If it were me doing these rounds, I wouldn't have caught half of them. He also gave very little room for students to redeem themselves. It seemed like you were only given that little room if you were in Slytherin – what a coincidence. I didn't really think that was fair, but maybe if you've been here as long as he has – or even as long as Auntie Minnie has, you would give some preferential treatment to your house as well. If there was one thing he kept consistent, it was his ability to take away house points. No matter what house you were in, he never hesitated to take away points. He was a lot more disappointed in his Slytherin students, taking away points through gritted teeth before shoving them towards the Slytherin common room. After sweeping the last corridor, we finally made our way back to turn in for the night.

We both walked into my room, and I immediately plopped down on the couch, flicking my flats off of my feet with my toes.

"Ah…" I said, sighing in relief. "My feet are killing me! How do you do that with your feet crying at the end?"

Severus shrugged, sitting down at the other end of the couch and placing my feet on his lap. "You will come to realize that you will, quite literally, have to walk everywhere to get anywhere in this blasted castle. In due time your body will adjust to the physical demands of this school," he said, holding my left foot and rubbing his thumb along the bottom of my foot.

The feeling was mind-numbingly relaxing. The only other times I would get foot massages was when I would go to get a pedicure, but those weren't even massages. Those were more like foot rubs, surprisingly leaving me more sore than when I had come in. He continued massaging my left foot before beginning on my right.

"So, Hogsmeade," I started, almost in a daze from the fabulous foot massage I was getting. "I'm going with you this weekend. Auntie said we will be chaperones? What is Hogsmeade?"

"Hogsmeade is an all-wizarding village. All students who are at least a third year are allowed to go, but they must have parental approval to participate. It is not really anything educational, though it gives a chance for the students to do what they please without having to suffer much consequence. How are your feet?"

I wriggled my toes before swinging them off of his lap and coming up into a sitting position. "They feel much better, thank you," I said, kissing him on the cheek. He smiled before standing up to take his leave. I followed him to the door, holding it open as he turned around.

"Although we were assigned the daunting task of doing the nightly rounds tonight, I enjoyed my time with you, Mia. I hope you get some rest tonight," he said, kissing the back of my hand. He's always so proper, and I liked that about him.

I smiled before taking a step and giving him another kiss on the cheek. "I enjoyed tonight as well, Severus. I hope you get some sleep, too." I squeezed his hand before he walked out the door. Once the door was shut, I unclasped my robe and unceremoniously took it off and threw it over the couch, quickly changed into my pajamas and plopped myself onto my bed, quickly entering my dreamland.

* * *

 _"I'm sorry, baby, but I have to go on a business trip for a couple of weeks," he said to me, stroking my hair as we laid in bed on a lazy Saturday morning. He's always going away on business trips at least once a month. I feel like I only really get to see him when we're working in the lab._

 _"You know you will be missing out on my birthday again. This will be the second year in a row," I said, upset that I will probably have to celebrate it alone again this year._

 _"I know and I am so sorry, for some reason it just worked out that way," he said. "If I could change the dates, you know I would." He kissed the top of my forehead, I don't know how much more of this I could take. I thought the point of being in a relationship with someone was to be with them, yet I feel so alone when I'm with him. It was hard trying to get used to losing both of my parents at the same time, but being in this relationship has taken its toll. I need to start doing what's best for me, or at least try to._

 _"Lucas, are we ever going to be more than this?" I said, waving at the space between us. "I feel like you spend more time trying to keep me locked inside my own house rather than going out and doing normal stuff. I only leave this house when we go to work, and you forbade me from doing anything else."_

 _We both sat up, looking intensely at each other. It was now or never. "I'm not your prisoner, Lucas. You've done horrible things to me that I have forgiven you for, but I just can't take it anymore. I can't do this – us – anymore."_

 _There was an eerie silence that pervaded the room. I looked away, hoping the tears that were threatening to fall would stay put. I looked back to him, his blonde hair falling so delicately off of his shoulders. I could see him subtly shaking, his eyes piercing me with his anger._

 _"Fine," he said, almost in a whisper. "I will leave." He swiftly got out from his side of the bed and started to pack all of his belongings. I sat on the bed in silence, wrapping the blanket around me. Once he was finished, he set his suitcase on the ground and turned to face me._

 _"Before I leave," he started, cupping my chin with his hand. "Know this: I will find you one day, and we will be together. We are destined for greatness, you and I. Until the next time we meet," he finished, kissing me on the lips. He stormed his way through my house and out the door._

* * *

I woke up in a panic, my face and palms were sweating and my breathing ragged. I could feel my hands start to shake as I tried to fish another vial of Calming Draught, only to find none.

"Damn it," I hissed, feeling the black curtain fall around me. I got out of bed and made the short distance to my piano. I rested my fingers on the keys and closed my eyes, focusing on the feeling of the piano at my fingertips. I could hear whispers in my head, but I couldn't tell who they belonged to. I shook it off as I took another breath and began to play.

I hope this will work, I really hope this will work. If it doesn't then I would feel all the work Severus and I have done would be for nothing. I knew the warning signs, and I had to take control. As I kept playing, I could feel pulses of energy leaving my body, and the curtain that hung around me started to disappear. Finally, after what seemed like forever, my anxiety and my panic subsided, feeling tired, but back to normal. Once I was able to move from my seat, I immediately went to the bathroom to take a long bath.

I had a pretty long to-do list today, most of it consisted of doing more cleaning and prep work in my classroom and office. Today was also the day that I would be a guest lecturer for the Advanced Potions class. I'm still not sure what I was going to talk about; I don't know that much about potions and I haven't really had a knack for public speaking. I let the steam from the bath clear my mind as I pondered on what I could talk about during his class. Once the water started to cool, I got out and dressed for the day, complete with teaching robes.

Breakfast was pretty calm today, Auntie was content as usual, and Severus was still the stone faced potions master, and I was still curious as usual. Auntie and I mostly talked about more of her teaching and grading style while Severus periodically chimed in with his opinion on how uneducated some of these students could be.

After breakfast was over, I made my way towards my classroom, passing a few students on the way. Some of them gave me a respectful nod, while others formally greeted me with a "Good morning, Professor," as they hurried off to their first class of the day. That feeling of confidence came back, reassuring myself that I really was somewhere where I belonged.

A few hours later and I was just about done with my classroom. I still had a ton of books that didn't fit in my room, and I had decided to give them a home in my classroom. Most of my time was spent re-alphabetizing them (they somehow got jumbled during my traveling, so they got out of order), which was surprisingly therapeutic. I was just putting the last few books on the shelf when Severus came in.

"I thought I would find you here," he said, closing the door behind him. I smiled as I went back to putting my books on the shelf. "Is everything alright?" he asked, sensing that something was wrong.

I couldn't keep anything from this man. I sighed, putting the last book on the shelf before turning to him and hugging him. He stiffened, but quickly relaxed and embraced me.

"I just didn't sleep well last night, that's all," I said, sighing into his chest. His one arm wrapped around my waist as the other came up to stroke my hair. It reminded me of how Lucas used to stroke my hair. I screwed my eyes shut, trying to block out the memories.

"You know you can talk to me about anything," he said, softly.

"I had a bad dream, a flashback really. Back to when I told Lucas he had to leave. I wasn't really dreaming about anything in particular, just the whole event that took place." I held onto him tighter, trying to fight back the tears. I sighed, waving away the thoughts of Lucas and distracting myself by thinking about his upcoming class that I would be in today. I pulled away to look at him. "So, your Advanced Potions Class-"

"Can wait because you – obviously – need to be comforted." I laughed at him, shaking my head. I don't need to be "comforted", but this was nice.

"Unfortunately, and although this is supposed to be Advanced Potions, those students can be just as horrible as my first years. They can wait a few minutes," he said, rolling his eyes. He pulled me into his arms again and kissed the top of my forehead.

"I'd rather be with you than teaching those dunderheads," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh my god," I said, swatting his chest and turning towards the bookshelf, trying to stifle my laugh. There was a book I wanted to bring today that had to deal with chemical formulas. I decided on a textbook that I had used in my first year of college. I felt him move to stand next to me, impressed by my collection of books.

"You can come in and borrow them anytime you want. I think you will find some of these books rather interesting," I said, nudging him with my elbow. He gave a small smile as he rested his hands behind his back.

"I shall have to return at a later time, seeing as it is now time to head to our class," he drawled, obviously not wanting to teach today. We both turned to walk out of my classroom and make our way towards Potions.

* * *

"Time!" I announced to the class. "Quills down, pass your answers to me."

The students groaned, wishing they had more time to finish their assignment that I had given them. As I was passing one of the students to collect the parchment, I could hear one of them say "I almost had it!" to their partner. The little nerd in me started to strut around with their chest puffed out.

"Professor Taylor, is there any way we could get more time on the assignment?" asked one of the students who was handing me the parchment for their row. I stopped to answer her question.

"When you are brewing potions, does the potion allow you for extra time if you're a bit behind? Does Professor Snape allow you extra time if you are not done brewing by the end of the class?" She lowered her gaze as she shook her head no. "And that is the whole point of this lesson. When it comes to subjects like Potions where your assignments are almost always time-sensitive, you can't just take your time or try to guess. You could have disastrous results if you don't use your time wisely and if you don't follow instructions." I picked up the last row of parchment before making my way back up the front. I turned to make my way back to the front, surprised to see Severus there. He was in his office for the entirety of my lecture, so I wasn't sure when he came out or how much he heard.

"On that, I leave you with this little story. I had a colleague who thought he knew better, and he thought he was better than all of us. Mind you, the formula we were working on did not solely rely on just one person. We had about five people working on this one formula." I could see some of their faces twisting into confusion. "Here, think of it this way, there were five of us making a potion. The potion itself could spell disaster if brewed incorrectly, which is why we had five people working on it, each person in charge of one specific ingredient and its preparation. My colleague didn't think this was important, the whole idea of being a team. Long story short, he poured an ingredient at the wrong time, and the potion was ruined, along with a few tables."

A few of the students chuckled and a couple of them could be heard saying "Serves him right," to their classmates. "Had any of us have been in that room," I continued, rather a bit more seriously this time, "We would have been dead by the end of the day."

The room fell silent.

"Lucky for him, he at least had the brains to wear the appropriate safety gear. So, let that be a lesson to you. Pay attention, follow directions, and don't kill your classmates." I looked back towards Severus, who seemed very impressed with me.

"That's it for today, your essays are due on my desk at the beginning of class next week. Get out." The door to his classroom flew open and the students started making their way out. After I straightened out the stack of assignments, I tucked them away in the small folio I had brought with me.

"Well done, Professor Taylor," Severus said to me as the door to his classroom closed. I tucked my folio under my arm as I walked towards him.

"You know, I can tolerate the students calling me that, because they have to. But you, not so much," I said, planting a sweet kiss on his cheek. He looked surprised, not expecting me to do that at all.

"I'll see you at lunch, _Professor Snape_ ," I teased him, purposely making my robes billow behind me as I exited his classroom.

"Where are you going?" he asked, rather sadly.

"I'm meeting with Auntie Minnie today," I said casually over my shoulder. "I'll see you at lunch babe!"

Whoa. Did I just? I rounded the corner and stopped for a second. Did I really just call him babe? I didn't even mean to say it, the word just slipped out before I could stop myself. I guess he was right about us, which is a huge deal. I never thought I would be able to move on, but I also never realized how ready I seem to be. I guess I have a lot of catching up to do. I shook the thoughts out my head for now as I made my way towards Auntie Minnie.

* * *

"You're doing so well dear," Auntie said to me in the Great Hall. For some reason I was starving after our lesson today. I think all the anxiety and nervousness from trying not to fall off my broom used too many calories.

"Thank you, Auntie. I'm just glad I didn't fall off my broom today," I said, scooping up some rice and gravy. I still couldn't get the fact that I called Severus "babe" earlier, and I had to ask her.

"Auntie, can I ask you something? About me and Severus." She turned to look at me, worried written all over her face. I rested my hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that it wasn't anything bad.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm so connected to him, and he's a great guy, even if he puts up a front for the rest of the school. Then there are times when I feel like I should take a step back, like I shouldn't be feeling this way because of all of the crap with Lucas." I held onto the pendant that Severus gave to me, thinking about my next words. "I want to be with him, but I don't know if I'm ready."

She looked at me with those motherly eyes that my mom used to always give me. It always reminded me that everything would be okay.

"My dear, I can see why you're so torn. As for your situation with Lucas, I know you will resolve that issue in due time, even if it's not right away, and I know Severus will stand by you through it all. He may not ever verbalize his intentions to me, but I can clearly see them. You just need to open your heart, and think about what you truly want. I think that will help you get over some of your obstacles."

Sometimes I wonder if she knows me more than I know myself. I know I haven't fully opened myself up to him, but it's all in fear that I will become vulnerable again and I will get hurt. Being with Lucas has put me in constant fear that something will go wrong and I will get the blame. Being with him has conditioned me to stay distant to people, even to Severus. I know I've been opening up to him more and more but I know I still pull away at some things. I try not to get close, but then the feeling of wanting to be with him grows exponentially.

"I think chaperoning for the students to Hogsmeade this weekend is a great opportunity for you two to talk," she suggested, her eyes flickering to something behind me. I turned around to see Severus, routinely annoyed by his students, no doubt.

"Honestly, Minerva, I don't understand how some of these students are granted permission to go to Hogsmeade when they can't even do their homework," he seethed, focusing on his plate of food. I shook my head, wondering who pissed off the Potions Master today.


	12. Chapter 12: Heart Break and Break-Ins

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Wow, it feels like forever since I've updated. I finally had a light day at work so I can post this. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 12:** _Heart Break and Break-Ins_

* * *

On Saturday morning I headed over to the Great Hall for breakfast. I woke up in a good mood today, no nightmares or flashbacks, and today was the day Severus and I would be chaperoning the students to Hogsmeade. After breakfast, I only had just enough time to change into my attire for the day before meeting everyone at the front of the castle.

"Is this everyone?" I asked, looking out at the group of students. There were about thirty of them, excited on taking their trip to Hogsmeade this weekend. Severus nodded, eyeing each and every one of them.

"Once we arrive at Hogsmeade, most of the students will disperse, and we won't see them again until it is time to return to the castle. We can walk around the village at that time," Severus said, getting ready to speak to the students. He went over the rules and the time when they would have to return at the meeting point.

"If you – so eagerly – need to talk to someone, you can talk to myself or Professor Taylor. I would suggest speaking to Professor Taylor first before bothering with me," he said, walking through the sea of students before leading them out of the castle.

It was a long walk, but it was an amazing sight to see once we got there. Severus waved off the students, and they all went their separate ways. Once the students were gone, he looked at me with his eyebrow raised.

"Shall we take a stroll along the High Street?" he asked, playfully. I laughed as we walked along the path, passing various shops. There was a shop called Dominic Maestro's that I definitely wanted to check out later. There was also a shop called Honeydukes that was very popular during this time of day. I could see a lot of Hogwarts students in that store. I also saw a store front for Ollivanders; Severus said that this is a local branch for the wand shop.

He took me to a place called Tomes and Scrolls. They had books and rolls of parchment on just about anything. There were several books on spells and magic that I wanted to get, so I took them up to the front to pay for them. The store clerk wrapped the books for me. Once we left the shop, Severus took the stack of books from my hand, tapped his wand on the wrapping, and it shrunk until it was about the size of his palm.

"That is something I will definitely have to learn," I said, amazed by what he did.

He casually put the small package in his pocket. "I can teach you when we return to Hogwarts. I have no other plans after Hogsmeade." I nodded, excited that I'll get to spend more time with him today.

We still had quite a bit of time before returning, so he took me to this place called the Three Broomsticks. It was owned by a lady called Madam Rosmerta. She had a pretty face, and a lot of the men in the pub seemed to like her.

"What would you like to order?" Severus asked as we took a booth towards the back. I looked over to where there was a list of drinks that you could order.

"What is Butterbeer?" I asked. It didn't sound appealing, but I was curious to try it.

"It's a non-alcoholic drink, most of the students fancy that. I suggest you try it if you haven't had it before." I nodded, agreeing to try the Butterbeer. Severus ordered for the both of us. Once Madam Rosmerta walked away to get our drinks, Severus turned his attention back to me.

"Okay, you got to tell me, have you ever had eyes for Madam Rosmerta before?" I asked with a mischievous smile.

"Merlin, no," he said, disgustingly. "I rarely frequent this pub. I rarely frequent Hogsmeade."

"So I've been told," I said, thanking Madam Rosmerta for my mug. "Auntie told me how you like to excuse yourself from your chaperoning duties."

"That would be correct," he said, taking a sip of his firewhiskey. "I'd rather be grading papers than watching over these hormone filled students."

I laughed, trying the Butterbeer for the first time. "This drink is amazing!" I said, staring at the mug. It reminded me of butterscotch. I took another sip, and noticed a familiar blonde man coming our way.

"Fuck my life," I said, slamming my mug down.

Severus looked at me in surprise. "Such colorful words," he said, but turned to see Lucas standing at our table.

"Ah, Mia. How wonderful to see you," Lucas said, staring down at me. I didn't bother to greet him, letting my piercing eyes do the talking. He smiled before looking at Severus. "And Severus, I never thought I would see you here. How good it is to see and old friend."

I shot a glance over to Severus. Friends? These two were friends? Are they still friends? My eyes darted back between the two of them as Lucas purposefully shoved himself next to Severus, who did not seem happy to be sharing his side of the booth.

"My love, have you thought about our conversation the last time we met?" he asked me, folding his hands on the table. I could feel myself fuming with various emotions. I could see Severus staring at me through the corner of my eye, awaiting my answer.

"My answer hasn't changed. It's still a no. A – very – hard no," I said, locking my gaze with his. "I don't know why you're still trying. It's never going to change." I'm not sure where this surge of confidence is coming from, but it's definitely helping. I was gripping to my mug for dear life. I could see Severus glancing at my hands and at my mug.

Lucas huffed, looking annoyed at me. "Well Severus, I think you have finally done it. You now have something I want. This will be quite interesting." He moved to stand, but then motioned for Severus to follow him. "If I could have a word with you, privately. Until next time, Mia."

"There won't be a next time," I said coldly, looking away as both men walked outside to talk.

I couldn't believe it. I can't believe my former-crazy-stalking ex-boyfriend is friends with the guy I'm currently dating. I refuse to call him my boyfriend now, even if he was. I don't know if I can knowing that they are friends with each other. I sighed in frustration, trying to make sense of this whole situation all while trying to curb the anxiety and panic of being so close to that man again. I really don't want to see him again. At least not in close proximity. It seems this wizarding world is a small community, but if I could avoid him at all costs, I will gladly do whatever it takes. I could subtly hear something bubbling nearby. I looked down to see that I somehow made my Butterbeer bubble. I let go of the mug, and the bubbles stopped.

"Mia, I can explain," Severus said as he slid into his seat.

I put up my hand to stop him. This must be what he didn't want to tell me. "Just. Don't. I'm just so angry right now. I don't want to say anything that I'll end up regretting later." I wanted to yell at him, throw my mug at him, punch him, then punch Lucas, but I couldn't do that here.

I needed to breathe. I needed to get out of here. I need to be by myself.

"I'm going back to the castle. You can tell Minerva that I can do another weekend since I'm abandoning my duties mid-day," I said rather harshly. I wished that I didn't, but I couldn't help with the anger and frustration I had inside of me.

He grabbed my hand before I would walk away. "Please, if I could have a word with you on this. I need to explain myself. I don't want to lose you."

I looked at him, and his eyes looked so sad. I don't think I have ever seen this emotion on him before, and it hit straight to my heart. I held onto his hand and nodded. "I'll meet you in your rooms tonight after dinner." Reluctantly, I let go and walked away, wiping the tears from my eyes.

* * *

The sun had gone down for the day, but I didn't have an appetite when it was time for dinner. I really wanted to try and not see Severus unless I really had to, so I opted to stay in my room. May be if I don't go to dinner then he will think I won't meet him in his room tonight to talk. I sat on the couch and listened to the fire crackle and pop, watched as the flames danced into oblivion. I strummed random chords on my guitar, wincing as I would move my fingers. I've been playing since the moment I made it back to my room, which I'm guessing has been a few hours now. I could tell that my fingertips were getting red and raw, but that didn't matter to me.

I would rather think about my raw fingers than to think about what happened at Hogsmeade.

Several chords later, I noticed there was red on my fingers. I took the rag that I had used earlier when they bled the first time and wiped the fresh blood off, wincing again at the contact from the rag. A soft knock came to by door as I wiped my second finger.

"It's open!" I said, wiping the third. Ouch. The door opened then closed, and I turned to see Severus walk around the couch, and stopped to see what I was doing.

"You weren't at dinner tonight," he said, eyeing my fingers.

"I wasn't hungry, so I just stayed here," I replied, wiping the last two. I flexed my hand, closing it and then opening it to stretch it out. I threw the rag onto the table and moved over so Severus could sit on the couch with me.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, taking the guitar from me and then gingerly taking my left hand. He held it, palm up, and looked at my fingertips, all in their red, raw glory.

"It comes with the territory, I guess. I was just playing for a long time and this is just the wear and tear," I said, casually. His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked _guilty_. It was almost as if he felt like it was his fault. He took his wand out and said "Ferula," and tiny bandages began to wrap themselves around my fingers. Once the bandages were done wrapping themselves, he checked every finger to make sure they were on securely. He was being so sweet, so gentle, and so loving in this very moment. It was hard to be mad at him anymore for what happened.

"There is something I need you know," I told him, holding both of his hands. His thumbs grazed over the back of my hands as I tried to put my words together.

"I just want you to know that I am not mad at you for what happened earlier with Lucas. I was for a little bit, but I'm over it. There was no way you would have known that the guy that screwed me for life is one of your friends."

His grip tightened on me. "We are not friends. Not anymore. Once I realized he was the one that was causing all of this, I confronted him, and I'm still trying to get answers," he said, anger in his face.

"I did not know he would be there today. He usually doesn't frequent that place either. In this world, he is a very wealthy man, with a high status within the wizarding community. He can get whatever his heart so chooses to desire, and it's a bit annoying." He pulled me closer to him, so that he could drape his arm around my shoulders. I leaned my head onto him, and swung my legs over his, and his other hand instinctively rested on top of my knees.

"Why am I so special to him? I'm not even from this world, and he somehow found me and was able to control me. And why all of a sudden do I now have magic?" I traced the line of his robes, trying to put all of the pieces together. I had lived a normal life, up until we all had realized that I was able to wield magic. Was there something that my parents kept from me?

"As I have said before, you have the potential to be a very powerful witch. I'm assuming Lucas somehow knew this information, and wants you for your power, whatever it may be. It's hard to be sure since your magic is just presenting it now."

We both sat in silence for a few minutes. I could feel his fingers tracing circles around my shoulders, which was calming. The more time we sat there, the more I was able to get over what has happened. I could feel my anger for Severus disappearing, but my anger towards Lucas still stayed the same.

"I want everything to be okay between us," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I just don't know if I can trust you, knowing that you were friends with him." The silence came again, both of us staring into the fire. "I just need time to sort through my thoughts."

"Take as much time as you need," he said, with a hint of sadness in his voice. I rose from my seat next to him, and stood in front of the fireplace.

I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling the warmth of the fire hit my skin. "I think I'm going to go to bed." I heard him make his way towards the door, opening it, then closing it. I didn't bother to look back.

The feelings that I have been experiencing today decided this was the perfect time to come pouring out of me. I crumbled to the floor and automatically folded myself into the fetal position, violently sobbing. My eyes were screwed shut but I could still feel the tears freely flowing. My thoughts were all over the place, going back and forth from memories with Lucas to memories with Severus. My heart felt like it just wanted to break, but I could feel it yearning for Severus. I know this is the barrier I needed to let down, but for some reason I just couldn't do it. It was a constant tug of war between my heart and my brain, and it was taking a toll on me.

I needed to let all of it go and say "none of it matters" so that I could move on with my life. I couldn't condemn Severus just because he knew Lucas. That would be unfair and cruel of me. This is my life now, and Severus is the man I want to be with, no matter what the fallout may ultimately be with Lucas. I needed to trust him, and he needs to know that I trust him. And I need to trust myself that I won't fall back to my old ways.

* * *

 _I was at the lake again, but the weather was gloomy. Dark gray clouds loomed over me as I sat, knees tucked under my chin, looking out into the abyss. It was cold, and it looked like it was going to rain any minute. I closed my eyes, trying to clear my thoughts. I tucked my knees in tighter as the wind blew._

 _I wish he was here with me. I wish he was here right now._

 _Everything started to turn black and white, all the color just fading away. My tears fell silently onto my jeans. I watched as the ripples from the lake turned from a dark blue to a gray. All the rocks that lined the lake were different shades of gray, and some were black._

 _I stared into the lake for however long I was sitting there, not saying a word. Finally, it started to rain._

 _And it poured._

* * *

I woke up with a startle, realizing I was uncomfortably laying on the floor in front of the fireplace. There was a blanket draped over me, and I wasn't sure where it came from. I don't remember purposefully laying on the floor to go to sleep. I picked up the blanket and made my way towards my bed, and plopped down, wrapping myself like a burrito in the blanket. I almost immediately fell back asleep as the warmth of the blanket enveloped me.

* * *

I spent the next two weeks in my classroom, doing final preparations and using it as a getaway from my room. I saw Auntie Minnie a few times, but I didn't talk to her much. She knew something was up, but she didn't want to ask me. She helped me a few times when I had to move some things, but that was the extent of our time together.

I saw Severus even less. I refused to go to the Great Hall for meals, and somehow the house elves knew to bring me food during mealtime. I guess Auntie Minnie started that once she noticed I was skipping out on a few meals. I could hear from the students in the halls that Severus was being more cruel than usual, freely taking house points as he pleased. I have only seen him once, and it was in passing in the corridors.

It was about mid-week when I was walking through the hallways, trying to get some fresh air. I was just about finished with all of my prep, and there was no use trying to hide in my classroom. Auntie Minnie came flying down the hall, her face filled with concern and horror.

"Auntie? Is everything alright?" I asked as she slowed to talk to me.

"Mia dear, I need you to help the faculty that are in the Great Hall. No student is to leave that hall unless instructed by either myself or Dumbledore. Do you have your wand with you?"

"Yes, I do," I said, showing her where I tucked it away in my robes.

She nodded. "Keep it close. I do hope you don't need it, but you never know." She gave me a quick kiss on my cheek. "Stay safe, my dear."

We parted ways as I started to make my way towards the Great Hall. The corridors were eerily quiet as I swiftly made my way to the hallway leading to the faculty entrance. I walked through the door, chatter from the students and the faculty echoing through the room. I looked around to see who was here. Everyone except for Auntie Minnie, Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Severus we're here with me. I looked towards the sea of students, amazed to see all of the houses mingling with each other. Usually they were all divided, but because of whatever circumstance we were in, they had all come together as one.

"Ah, Ms. Taylor, we are so relieved to see you," one of the professors said to me.

"I'm relieved to be here," I responded. "Do we know what's going on?" I asked, hoping someone could shed some light on what was happening.

"Dumbledore didn't tell us specifically," another professor said in almost a whisper. "But it sounds like students made their way to the out of bounds area on the third floor. Merlin, those students are asking for an expulsion."

"We have been instructed to keep an eye on the students in here, until the situation has been resolved," the first professor added. I nodded, checking to make sure my wand was where it should be.

"What are we supposed to do with the students? Is there something we can give them to pass the time?" I asked, looking at the students. I could tell that some of them were starting to look restless and bored. They obviously didn't know what was going on.

The two professors I were talking to both shook their heads. "Unfortunately not, but they are not allowed to leave until Minerva or Headmaster Dumbledore have returned."

I sighed, wishing there was a way I could find out what they were up to or how it was going. Then I started to wonder who were the students that went into the out of bounds area.

"Did you happen to see Quirinus on your way here?" the second professor asked me.

"Who?" I didn't know anyone by the name of Quirinus.

"My apologies, Professor Quirrell. Quirinus is his first name. No one has seen him all day, and he is not here now."

I shuddered at the thought of Professor Quirrell. But they were right, I haven't seen him at all, and he was suspiciously absent from the Great Hall. I shook my head, and the professor looked worried.

"May be he went with the other faculty to help with the situation?" I suggested.

The professor nodded in agreement. "That could be possible. He is our Dark Arts teacher, he could prove to be helpful to them if there was such magic being used, although highly unlikely."

We all moved to sit at the faculty table, and patiently waited, making small talk to help the time pass by. One hour passed, then two, then three. What could be talking so long? Why haven't they tried to get a hold of any of us? It was almost time for dinner, and one of the professors instructed the house elves to release the dinner plates early so that we all could eat. This helped the atmosphere of the room, as everyone was starting to get a little antsy. The food helped to calm people down, including me.

Then my mind wandered to Severus. I missed him dearly these past couple of weeks. Although the time apart really helped me catch up on some things and really cleared my mind, it didn't help the fact that I did have some serious feelings for him. Somewhere between shelving my newly bought books and sorting out my lesson plans by week, I realized how much I've come to care for him. I don't think my feelings would have gone this far if I wasn't ready to put myself into another relationship. One of my resolutions for this year was to let go of my past and move on, and it was at this point I had fulfilled that resolution. May be pursing something more with him won't be too bad, and I know he is nothing like Lucas. I just hope it isn't too late to fix things.

Another hour passed before the large doors to the Great Hall started to shake, almost like someone was trying to get in.

"Those doors are locked, and I warded them," Professor Flitwick said. The doors shook again, and the room was silent.

I could feel panic coursing through me, but I willed myself to stay calm, for the sake of everyone in this room. Defensively, I took out my wand and started making my way towards the back. One of the professors ordered the students to stand back as myself, Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, and one other professor made our way towards the doors. We made a semi-circle around the doors, Professor Sprout and the professor I didn't know stood on either side and myself and Professor Flitwick standing directly in front of each door.

My wand shook in my hand, but I kept my breathing even to help stay calm. I could feel the familiar tingling in my hands, and I turned my thoughts to Severus. "I have to apologize, Professor Flitwick," I whispered as the door rattled again. "I'm fairly new to my magic, but I'll try my best. I won't let anything happen to these kids."

Professor Flitwick nodded. "Don't you worry, Ms. Taylor. We all have each other's backs here. Your bravery speaks volumes."

His words were very comforting, and I felt more confidence standing where I was at with them. Suddenly, the doors swung open, but no one was there. A slight breeze blew in as the four of us cautiously walked out of the Great Hall.

"Is everyone accounted for?" asked Professor Dumbledore as he somehow came out of nowhere. It looked like he had just rounded the corner as we all recognized him. He was walking alone, no other faculty with him.

"Yes, Headmaster," Professor Sprout said. "The rest of the staff is inside as well. We came up here when the doors began to shake."

"Ah, I apologize for the rattling," he said with this gentle, raspy voice. "I was attempting to open the doors, but it took quite a few attempts before they were able to open. I assume wards were in place for the students' protection?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Professor Flitwick said. "I put up the wards when we realized that we might be in there for quite some time."

"Job well done, Professor Flitwick. And to all of you as well. Now, let us return and I will give further instruction. The danger can be put behind us now, but we still have some questions that need answers."

Professor Dumbledore led us back into the Great Hall, where everyone was surprised to see him walking through. He stood at the front of the hall, and instructed Prefects to escort their houses back to their dormitories, and all faculty are to follow the houses closest to their quarters to ensure that they arrive safely. Once we were all dismissed by Professor Dumbledore, I followed behind the group of Slytherins toward the dungeons. Some of the students that trailed in the back tried to coax out of me what was going on, but unfortunately for them, I did not know much. They didn't seem satisfied with my answer, and walk back to rejoin with the rest of the group.

As the last student walked through the portrait hole, I turned to make my way back to my room, hoping to see Severus, but I didn't. I finally made it back to the door that lead to my room, and still no sign of Severus. I took one last look down the hallway before opening the door and taking a step inside. I closed the door, twirling my wand in my hands. I walked over to my bed and laid my wand and teaching robes on the blanket. A soft knock came to the door, and I was hoping it was him.

"Severus!" I sighed in relief, throwing my arms around him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly as he guided me backwards into my room. We stopped momentarily for him to kick my door shut.

"You're safe," he said, caressing my back. I never wanted to let go, I wanted to stay like this forever. We stopped at the foot of the bed, and his hands came around from my back to cup my face.

"I was so worried about you, we never heard anything for several hours," I told him, looking him over to see if there was any sign of injuries. Luckily, there were none, just dirt around his boots and the bottom of his trousers, along with some spots on his coat. "What happened?"

He motioned for me to sit before he explained the situation. "Three students entered the out of bounds area on the third floor. This is strictly forbidden, and I'm pleased to say they weren't from my house. There was an item on interest that was being stored on that level, and apparently _Professor Quirrell_ was after that item. Although I have no idea as to why those three dunderheads would want to pursue the item, one of them – _Potter_ – managed to stop Quirrell and kill him."

My eyes widened. I hoped he was joking, but his face said he was being serious.

"It also seems that Quirrell was not acting of his own accord. He was under the control of something else, something that is trying to make their way back into this world." His face read fear, anger, and sadness all at the same time. There was no way I could keep the incident from the Astronomy Tower from him anymore. I knew it had to be linked to this somehow.

I took a breath before starting. "The day that I ran from the Astronomy Tower, do you remember that?" He nodded, listening closely. "I was not running because I got claustrophobic. Professor Quirrell found me up in the tower. He said he had a message for me."

I closed my eyes, trying to curb the anxiety from remembering that moment. I felt his hands hold mine as I looked at him. "He had a face under that turban he wore. It never told me its name, but they said that one day I would stand side by side with them, but I refused. I was trying to get away when Quirrell pulled out his wand." He held my hands tighter, and I could see that the gears were turning in his head. "The last thing he said to me was that the Dark Lord would call me when he returned, then he let me go."

His eyes widened. "The Dark Lord?" he repeated. He closed his eyes for a minute and took a few deep breaths. Once he opened his eyes again, he cupped my face in his hands again, just like before. "I swear to you, nothing will happen to you while you are here and while you are with me. I will protect you, whatever it takes."

He pulled my face to his and our lips met. I wrapped my arms around him, as he laid me down on my bed. He deepened the kiss, and I opened my lips, our tongues colliding with each other. My fingers ran through his hair as he softly moaned.

We briefly broke away from each other and looked at one another, trying to catch for breath.

"Stay with me," I said breathlessly.

"Always," he whispered, lowering his head to kiss me again.


	13. Chapter 13: What Used to Be

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Hooray for the weekend! I think we got some good stuff going on in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 13:** _What Used to Be_

* * *

 _It was nearly eight in the morning, and Severus wasn't awake yet. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided on cooking breakfast for us this morning. I tip toed my way down the stairs and into the kitchen, waving at the fireplace to start warming up the area._

 _His house at Spinner's End was small, but it's not like we needed some extravagant mansion. We had all the necessities here, and that was all we needed._

 _I took out a few pans for bacon, eggs, and pancakes, and started the coffee pot. Luckily, we had just went to the market yesterday to restock, so we had more than enough to feed the two of us for several weeks. I started with the pancakes first, since they take the longest to prepare. There was something about cooking that was very relaxing, especially when I do it in the morning after waking up, so I chose to not use my magic and do everything by hand._

 _I was about halfway through cooking everything when I felt arms wrap around my waist and a kiss to the side of my neck._

 _"Good morning to you too," I sighed, relishing in his morning greeting to me. I couldn't be distracted for long though, or else the bacon would burn._

 _"I did want to have a lazy day with you, but I see you felt a need to be the complete opposite," Severus said, still groggy from just waking up. He kissed my temple before making himself a cup of coffee. "I could ask Binky to finish cooking and serve us our breakfast in bed," he suggested, taking a sip of his coffee._

 _I smiled, flipping a pancake. "Breakfast in bed does sound good for a Saturday," I thought, flipping the bacon this time._

 _"I know a good way to pass the time while the elf cooks," he said, rather enticingly. He came over and wrapped his arms around me again, but pulled me towards him, and I clearly felt something that also woke up with him._

 _I wriggled my backside into him and he left out a soft moan into my ear, and I could feel heat pooling down south. I turned around and nibbled his bottom lip._

 _"You better tell that elf to come now before the bacon burns."_

* * *

My body seemed to wake up naturally as I registered a warm body laying behind me. I turned over, relieved to see familiar black hair on the pillow. His back was towards me, and I could softly hear his breathing as he exhaled through this mouth. I softly kissed his temple before making my way to the bathroom to relieve myself.  
Before exiting the bathroom, I took a long look at myself in the mirror. It has been a hell of a school year at Hogwarts. I don't think I've been through so much in a year. To be honest, I really didn't think that I would have lasted a whole year if I was still stuck outside of this world. It suddenly dawned on me how much I have changed, and that there is still hope for me. Auntie Minnie can see it and Severus can see it, so why shouldn't I see it as well? I know it will be a long road to recovery, as clearly shown by this whole year alone, but I think I will have some semblance of being a normal person in due time.

I quickly splashed some water on my face and patted myself dry before returning to the bedroom. I was surprised to see Severus sitting up and awake in my bed, reading a book of all things.

"Good morning, Mia," he greeted me, putting the book face down on his lap.

"Good morning. I thought you would still be sleeping when I got out," I said, walking over and joining him again under the blankets.

He opened his arm to me as I rested myself against his side. He was reading one of my textbooks. "I was awake the moment you got out of bed. I had sensed your movement and saw you heading towards the bathroom."

"I'm sorry if I woke you then, I was trying to be as quiet as I could," I said, feeling a little guilty.

"There's no need to apologize. I am a light sleeper, as you have said before, it comes with the territory." He smirked as I playfully swatted his chest. What a jerk.

We spent the rest of the morning being lazy in bed, Severus reading the book while I dozed in and out of sleep. At some point he summoned Kolry to bring us breakfast, which was when we had decided to finally get out of bed and had our meal on the couch.

"Do you think the school is still in danger after what happened last night?" I asked him, finishing off my plate. He looked into the fire, deep in thought.

"From what I understand of the situation, no. Potter was somehow able to neutralize Quirrell, that insane excuse of a man. When I had made my way to where Quirrell had Potter, Quirrell was literally a pile of ash. There is no way he can return from that. As for the item that was being pursued by both parties, the Headmaster has decided the item must be destroyed." He set his cup down before continuing. "As for the Dark Lord, I am unsure at this moment what the Headmaster wants to do." He thought for a few seconds as I sat there, thinking about my incident with Professor Quirrell and how that would tie in to everything.

"If the Dark Lord does return," he started, looking at the fire. His eyes told a different story from the tone of his voice. I could see he was thinking about something that affected him, but I didn't want to force him to tell me anything he doesn't want to. "If he returns, we just might possibly have another war on our hands."

"Another?" I said surprisingly. "There were wars before?"

The next hour was spent giving me a history lesson on the First Wizarding War. I can't believe there was a man that existed that wanted so much power. He reminded me of Hitler in some ways. It was frightening to know that there could be a possibility of him returning, and that he wants me to be on his side. I knew for a fact that would never happen. I would rather die than to be under the command of something like him.

"In any case, we should continue your training. There is still much for you to learn," he concluded, and I agreed. He set his cup down next to our plates, and waved his hand toward the dishes. They disappeared, showing my table that was underneath.

I don't think I'll ever get over magic like that.

"I believe I have overstayed my welcome," Severus said, rising to leave. I walked around the couch to meet him at the door.

I wrapped my arms around him before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "You are always welcome here," I told him, smiling. His gazed softened as he returned the kiss.

There was something about having physical contact with him that made me forget everything else that was going on. I stepped closer to him as his arms snaked around my waist, his hands going under my shirt and caressing my back. I melted at his touch, my hands finding their way up into his raven black hair, and tugging on it just enough to elicit a response from him. His hands wandered lower as they grabbed onto my hips.

Suddenly, fear ran through me.

Memories of Lucas pinning me down with his hands in that exact spot started to flood my mind. The countless mornings looking at my hips and running my hands over the bruises where his fingers once were, now clouding this sweet moment I was having. I grabbed onto his shoulders and abruptly stepped back, looking at him with wide eyes. We were both gasping for breath.

"Sorry," I breathed, trying to banish the tears from my eyes. He just looked at me as I looked everywhere but his face, trying to bring myself back to earth. I finally willed myself to look at him, and he looked guilty.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, concerned about how he touched me. I shook my head.

"No, not at all, I.." my voice trailed off as I shut my eyes, trying to push away those horrible memories. "I just wasn't ready for that."

Cautiously, he laid a hand on my shoulder. "I wish to not put you in any situation you are not comfortable with. I apologize for making you feel uneasy."

"It's not your fault, really. It will just take me some time to get there," I said, reassuring him and hoping it will help him feel better. I wrapped my arms around him again and gave him another kiss. "Are we back to our usual schedule? Or will there be more interruptions with trolls and weird professors?" I asked jokingly.

Thankfully, he smiled. "I will see you later on today. We shall meet in my quarters. We will brew our potions in there." He kissed my forehead before walking out the door.

* * *

 _"Mia, my dear Mia," Lucas said, walking over to me. He ran a single finger down my cheek as I tried to move away, but I couldn't. We were in a dark room, the only light shining on top of us. My arms were bound behind me with metal shackles._

 _"If only you knew how much you mean to me, how much you mean to us," he said, waving towards the darkness. As he circled around me, more lights started to shine, and I realized I was surrounded by people in hooded robes and masks. There was no way to tell who was hiding behind those masks._

 _He grabbed me by the hips, just like he always does. He pulled me forward, yanking my arms back and feeling the pain in my shoulders. I tried to yell at him to stop, but I couldn't hear myself. Where did my voice go? He lowered his head, licking me up from my chest, up my neck, and around my ear. He felt cold, and his tongue slithered like a snake. I could feel chills and goosebumps throughout my whole body. His mouth was dangerously close to my ear; I could feel his breath as he exhales._

 _"It's such a shame your parents had to take you away from all of this. But now that you're here, you can claim what's rightfully yours."_

 _More lights started to turn on, and it showed a rather large room, all made of black and white marble. There were two large spiraling staircases that lead to the second floor, and a large double door straight ahead. I still couldn't speak, but I could hear strange whispers flooding my mind. They almost reminded me of a snake hissing in my ear, but they were speaking in a language I didn't know. I looked around the room, and the hooded men and masks were still there. It was like they were statues that never moved._

 _His grip on my hips tightened as he came face to face with me. "And I will be right there beside you, guiding you every step of the way," he growled, his eyes turning stone cold as my clothes flew off of me. He slammed me on the ground as my arms went above my head, still bound together._

 _He kissed me hard, making my lips bleed as he buried himself inside of me. I tried to scream again, but there was nothing to hear. I could feel the warm tears fall from my eyes as the burning between my legs began to feel worse and worse. I refuse to look at him and turned my head to the side._

 _Severus, please, save me._

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat on my bed. I've never had a dream like that before, and it angered me down to the core. I'm so sick and tired of Lucas still making an effect on my life. I want to end this, once and for all. No matter how much I move on with the rest of my life, he somehow manages to stay in my head, and he is definitely not welcome in there.

 _Mia, my love, are you awake?_

"You're a fucking bastard, Lucas!" I yelled, looking around for him.

 _I love you when you're so feisty like this. Tell me, are you ready to claim what's rightfully yours?_

Was he in that dream with me? I could slowly feel a headache starting as I cradled my head in my hands. "I'm ready to have you out my life. Permanently!" I hissed, closing my eyes, trying to make the headache go away.

"Whatever you did to have this connection with me needs to stop. We're done," I added, tears starting to fall down my cheeks.

 _Don't be so harsh, my love. I know we can make this work. Meet me in the forest just outside of Hogwarts tonight. I will explain everything, and you can make your choice then._

And with that, my thoughts went silent again. I buried my face in my pillow, willing the last of my headache to go away. I started sobbing, partly because I was just so fed up, but also because the end is in sight. Tonight, it would be over. I don't care what Lucas has to say or has to offer, enough is enough.

With a heavy sigh, I stopped crying and got ready to meet with Severus.

As I was making my way to his room, I ran into Auntie Minnie.

"Hi Auntie, I'm sorry but I won't be able to meet with you tonight," I told her as I approached her.

She looked at me with confusion. "That's fine, dear. Is everything alright?" she asked, looking me over.

"I'm okay, I'm not sick or anything," I reassured her. "I'm settling things with Lucas tonight. Going to finally get some closure." I could feel the anger flickering through me.

Auntie looked at me again, this time with more concern. "Surely you can't be going alone. Will Severus be accompanying you?"

"This is between me and Lucas. I don't want to drag Severus into it more than he already is." It's bad enough that he was/is friends with him, and I'm still trying to come to terms with that. Besides, it was hard enough letting him into that part of my life in the first place, although now I'm okay with it. He's done way too much for me, I can't ask him or have him there while I hash it out with Lucas.

"Don't worry about it," I said, with finality. I gave Auntie Minnie a hug, knowing she did not like the situation one bit. "I'll be fine. I can handle this on my own."

"Well, if you must, but I must insist you come and see me when you are finished. I want to make sure you are okay, and there are probably things we need to discuss afterwards," she replied, sighing. I nodded as we parted ways.

* * *

I was pouring the last the potion into the vial when I felt Severus's hand on my shoulder.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, sensing my anxiety and panic skyrocketing.

"Lucas spoke to me today, before I left to come here," I started, putting the stopper on the vial and setting it down. "He wants to meet with me tonight."

He moved to say something, but I raised my finger before he could speak. "Don't you start. I'm going by myself. This is between me and Lucas, and I think I can take care of myself."

I wrapped my arms around his stiff body. I could tell he wasn't happy with the whole situation, but this is something I needed to take care of. I stayed there with my arms wrapped around him until he finally allowed himself to hold me in return. My heart was pounding, knowing our meeting time was closing in. He kissed the top of my head as he held me tighter and I clung onto his coat.

"He is a powerful wizard, one that can inflict horrible pain to anyone in his way. I worry for your safety, but I understand your wishes," he said, quietly.

I pulled away so I can look him in the eyes. "Then tell me who he is, and what he's capable of, and I can be ready for whatever he does to me. He's put me through the ringer already, there's not much more damage he can do to me."

He kissed me softly before leading me to his rooms. He motioned for me to sit on his couch while he made a cup of tea for the both of us. He gave me mine and took a sip of his before starting.

"Where would you like me to start?" he asked, looking at me warily.

"Start from the beginning." I'd like to be as prepared as I can before I see him.

"His name is not Lucas. He is Lucius Malfoy, and he comes a line of very wealthy people. His family are all purebloods, meaning every person in the Malfoy bloodline are witches and wizards. I guess you can say he was born into this high social status, and he was very well brought up that way.

He's a very influential man, and will use his power and money to make certain things go his way. He's a ruthless man; if he doesn't like you, he will make it known. I've only seen him fight briefly in the First Wizarding War, but he can do some damage."

"What about your friendship? How long have you been friends with Luca - Lucius." It was weird to use his real name, still don't like it nonetheless.

"He is a few years older than me and was a student when I started at Hogwarts. We were both in Slytherin. We have been friends through my whole time as a student, up until I have known what he has done to you. He says I've gone soft, but I think otherwise. He had a wife, Narcissa, but she left him years ago because he became too greedy. He has a son who is a student here now, Draco. I'm sure you've seen the blonde boy walking around the halls.

There is something I need you to understand: Lucius does not take a simple 'no' for an answer. He will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. He has many tricks up his sleeve, and he will twist you and turn you until you say yes. You must stay strong when you see him, and don't let him make you think otherwise. If he lays one finger on you, Merlin knows what I would do to him."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. Thank you for telling me all of that," I said, resting my hand on his knee. It was a lot to digest, but I did feel a lot better going into this meeting knowing what his intentions with me really are. I knew all along he wasn't really wanting me back because his heart wants it. He only wants me for his benefit, whatever that may be. I looked over at the clock, realizing I had just enough time to make it over to our meeting place.

"I have to go," I told him, setting my cup on the table. As I stood, he took me into his arms and held me close. I've never seen him so affectionate with me before. Even the night we spent together in my room, he was still very hesitant to put his hands on me, but I never meant for it to go past what it did. May be there is some credit to this fear he has of me seeing Lucius on my own, but I can't let that cloud my thoughts now. All I could do was wrap my arms around him and reassure him that I would be okay.

"I insist that you see me afterwards," he said, returning the embrace.

I laughed, remembering how insistent Auntie Minnie was when she asked me the same question. "You're going to have to take a number for that. Auntie Minnie already asked me to see her as well."

"Then I ask that you come and see me after speaking with Minerva," he replied, smirking. I nodded and kissed him on the cheek before leaving to meet Lucius outside of the castle.

The castle was quiet tonight, the students already in their dormitories. Tomorrow, they would be on their way home for the summer, and I'm sure they're all happy and excited for the year to finish. I reached the gates and quickly looked back to make sure no one was following me. I didn't see anyone, so I opened the gates and stepped through the wards to the outside world. It was still a little walk to get to our meeting spot, but I could feel the night getting darker and darker the farther I got away from the castle. As I got closer to the treeline, I could see a familiar blonde man leaning against one of them.

"My lovely Mia," Lucius said, taking my hand and kissing the back of it. It took all the willpower in me to not regurgitate whatever was in my stomach.

"I'm not your lovely anything," I said coldly, taking my hand back. I could slowly feel myself being nervous, but I quickly turned those feelings into anger and confidence. "I know everything about you, _Lucius_ ," I spat out. "What I can't figure out is why me? How do I fit into your crazy world?"

"Ah, I see you have found out my true identity." He looked down at his cane as he thought for a moment. "Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before you would have it all figured out. You were always so clever."

We were silent for a few moments. I looked around, the castle in the distance, and the moon shone brightly above us. I was trying to look everywhere but him, and he was staring only at me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking at the moment, his eyes wouldn't give anything away. Suddenly, he stepped closer to me and cupped my face with his hands. I tried to turn away, but he held on tightly.

"You definitely have the eyes of a Black," he said, running his thumb along my cheekbone.

"What?" I asked, confused as hell. Who is Black? What is Black?

"Yes. Black. Your family. You weren't always a bloody Taylor, you know," he said, taking his hands off of me. "Your parents _selfishly_ took you away from a life of power, wealth, and fame. They ran when they should have stayed to fight for what was right."

My head was spinning. I _was_ a witch at one point in my life? This doesn't make sense. I've always lived in California, I never knew magic until I came here, and my parents certainly weren't magical themselves. I'm pretty sure they would have told me if any of us were.

"You're a liar," I told him, seething. "And don't you _ever_ talk about my parents like they were cowards. You never _knew_ them." My blood was boiling.

He looked at me for a moment before picking something out of his pocket. He twisted the top of his cane, and pulled out what looked like his wand, and tapped it on the item. It enlarged into what looked like a photo album.

"May be this will help you see," he said quietly. He handed over the photo album to me.

It was an old brown leather album with a small gold plate on the front that read "Black Family". I opened the cover, and there was a moving picture of a baby in a crib. I turned the page, and saw two familiar faces smiling back at me.

"That's my mom and dad," I said, brushing my fingers over the pictures. Sadness filled my heart, and the memories of them began to flood my mind. How could they hide something from me? And how could I have no recollection of this life?

As I flipped through the pages, I saw myself getting older and older. There were a handful of pictures of them seeing me off to whatever school I went to, then there was one of my graduation. I couldn't read what my robes said, but they were proud of me. There were even a few with Auntie Minnie. Pictures from vacations we took filled the last few pages before I hit the back cover.

"How am I able to not remember this life that I had?" I asked Lucius, holding the album close to my heart.

Lucius sighed. "If I had that information, I would have told you, but unfortunately I do not. What I do have to offer is the chance for you to rejoin the society that you belong to. You don't need some teaching job to find your place here. With your status, you can do whatever you may please, and you can be a very influential voice in the Ministry. I can help you there."

I closed my eyes and turned around. There was so much information to digest, and I couldn't do it fast enough. I feel like I am stuck at a crossroad: one road leads to a life of wealth and fame, while the other is a bit more unknown, but the people that I truly love and care about will be there to help me along the way. Lucius will only guide me until it doesn't benefit him anymore, which will mean I will be on my own once I become useless to him.

"I can't believe I'm saying this. Thank you, Lucius," I said, turning back to him with tear filled eyes.

"Think nothing of it. Now, my dear, are you ready to live your real life?" he said, holding his hand out to me.

I took a step back. "No, you didn't let me finish. Thank you for showing me who I am, but my answer still hasn't changed. I don't care what was left for me, it can stay there until I'm ready to face it. I like where I am at right now, and I'd like to continue the life I'm living – without you."

I turned to walk towards the castle when he spoke again. "Do you love him?" he asked. "Severus. Do you love him?" He almost sounded sad - just almost.

Without hesitation, I turned around and looked at him straight in the eyes. "Yes. I do love him. He is more of a gentleman than you will ever be." His face looked like his life just fell apart before his eyes, but it didn't matter to me. I turned to start walking again.

That was it. No more Lucius. With every step I took away from him, I could feel the heaviness in my chest slowly fly away and never come back. There were definitely questions that needed to be answered, and Auntie Minnie will be the person to help me. I can't help but wonder why-

"Crucio!" was the last thing I heard Lucius yell before my world turned black.


	14. Chapter 14: Everything Has Changed

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I felt like this was a good time to go back in time a bit. This is written in 3rd person POV, not our usual OC's POV. This actually took a little turn from what I had initially intended, but I like where it went. Sorry though, this chapter is a tad shorter than usual, but I really wanted to get this out and flesh out our story a bit more. I promise longer chapters will return! Let me know what you think!

* * *

 **Chapter 14:** _Everything Has Changed_

* * *

"Carina, we don't have much time. Where is she?" Eridanus paced back and forth in the living room, anxiously waiting for his daughter to arrive.

"She said she had a few things to finish before she could floo back home. I'm sure she won't be much longer," Carina said, looking down at her hands.

The height of the war was upon them, and they knew there was a price for each of their heads, including their daughter's. There was no way they were going to survive, so they decided to run away. Carina, Eridanus, and Ara were one of the silent few Black family members that didn't quite align their loyalties with the rest of the family. Naturally, someone found out, and now the Death Eaters (with members of the Black family included) are out for their blood.

Ara insisted they stay and fight. She would rather die for something she believed in than to run away with still the chance of getting caught later. Eridanus couldn't come to terms with seeing his daughter die, or himself for that matter, so he chose to bring his family to a faraway place. Carina was just as fearful as Eridanus, and silently agreed to her husband's wishes.

The fireplace swirled green and Ara came walking through, brushing the soot off of her robes. "Hello mother, father," she said, kissing them both on the cheek. "I just need to freshen up and then we can talk."

Eridanus stood at the window, noting the darkness looming over their home. Time was running out. "Have you contacted Minerva?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the sight outside.

"Yes, dear," Carina replied. "We met earlier today. She will be our Secret Keeper. She is the only one that knows."

They remained silent until Ara returned to the room. She had changed into comfortable house clothes, and threw her almost black hair into a messy bun.

"Ara, dear, the Death Eaters are getting closer by the day. We must leave if we want to survive," her mother said, worry and fear etched all over her face. Eridanus turned to look at his wife and his daughter. She just entered her twenties, and she had a good head on her shoulders. Sometimes, though, he wished she would just nod and play along, like she used to do when she was younger.

Ara pursed her lips before starting. "Mother, you know how I feel about running away. I want to stay and fight. We shouldn't be letting these people ruin our lives because we don't agree with them!"

They have had this argument many times, and Ara was just about done with them. "If the both of you are so inclined to leave, then I suggest you go on without me. I am not afraid to die," she said with finality.

"I see, well, you're a grown woman now, and I know you're fully capable of making your own decisions," Eridanus said, walking over to his daughter. He took one long look at her before embracing her for what could possibly be the last time.

"Sometimes I wish you were still my baby girl, though," he said, trying to hold back his tears.

"Father," Ara said, embracing him. She didn't want it to be like this, but this was something she needed to do, with or without them. "I'll always be your baby girl, no matter what happens."

She looked at her mother and father before starting to make her way out of the room. "You two should get going. I am going to pack a few of our things before I set out as well," Ara said before leaving the room.

"Crucio."

Before Ara could set foot out of the living room, a burning, searing pain made its way throughout her whole body. She fell to the floor, screaming in pain. Eridanus kept his wand on his daughter for a few minutes, only letting go of the spell once he saw blood seeping out of her nostrils.

"Eridanus! What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?!" Carina screeched, looking at her husband in horror.

"Getting my daughter out of here," he said, flicking his wand and setting a rope binding spell on Ara. Even in the bind, they could still see her convulsing from the Cruciatus. She groaned in pain, but any attempt to speak failed.

As they both kneeled down next to Ara, a sudden knocking came to their front door. There was only one person that would be knocking at this time, and they knew they were on borrowed time now.

"Carina, do it now, then I will take us to our location," Eridanus ordered his wife.

Carina was so shocked by what Eridanus has done to her daughter, she didn't quite register the order he was barking to her. All she could think about were memories of times when the Dark Lord wasn't trying to take over the world, and they were able to be a proper family. She missed the days when Ara would come home from the Ministry and they would have dinner, talking about her cases that she worked on and how she's making a difference in the world.

She will never have that life again.

"Carina! Are you listening?!" Eridanus started to sound panicked now as the sound of an explosion rocked through the house.

"Eri! Your family is here!" an eerie singsong voice echoed through the halls.

"Bellatrix," Eri said under his breath. "Now, Carina!"

"I can't! I don't want to do this!" Carina said, tears rolling down her eyes and falling on Ara's cheek. She brushed the hair out of her daughter's face. She looked up at her husband, who was staring back at her, anger and fear. He simply nodded, and she understood.

Carina shakily raised her wand and pointed it at Ara's forehead. "I'm sorry, baby girl," she said.

"Say goodbye Eri!" Bellatrix yelled.

"Oblivi-" _Pop!_

The three landed in a dark alleyway. Eridanus held onto his unconscious daughter as he tried to catch his breath. He looked over at his wife. She looked like death, her face pale and her eyes staring into nothingness.

"Carina, are you alright?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing will be the same again."

"I know and I'm sorry, but you know it is for the best," Eridanus said firmly. "Do you remember what we discussed about our identities?"

Carina nodded, mentally waving goodbye to her former self. "I am Christina Taylor, and I am married to you, Benjamin Taylor. This is our daughter, Mia Taylor," she said in a monotone. They were to be doctors from California, living deep within the muggle community. They will be flying under the radar, using little to no magic so that the Ministry or the Dark Lord cannot trace them. Ara will now live as Mia, a muggle, with no history or ancestry relating her back to the wizarding world.

This was their new life.

Eridanus held his still unconscious daughter in his arms as they walked the pathway up to their new home. It was a modern looking 2 story home on a fairly sized plot of land. Their property was gated, and Carina punched the code they agreed upon onto the keypad. The gates slowly swung open as they made their way up the driveway and to the front door.

Once inside, Eridanus gently laid Ara down on the couch as Carina naturally went into the kitchen to start a pot of tea. Ara began to stir as Eridanus picked up a remote from the coffee table and stared at it.

"One day I'll get used to these muggle contraptions," he mumbled to himself as he tried to remember the button that would start the fireplace. On his first try, the flames roared to life and the room began to feel warm. Knowing his daughter would wake soon, and surely will have a lot of questions, Eridanus quickly waved his hand and the binding spell released itself from her. He sat in a chair across from her and patiently waited for her to come to.

Carina was just entering the great room as Ara opened her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Where am I?!" she asked, frantically. She shot up into a sitting position and whipped her head around. Eridanus rose from his chair to rest a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"Don't touch me! Who are you?" she asked, pushing his hand off of her.

Eridanus was floored. How could this be? It seems as though Ara has lost everything about her. When he had asked his wife to obliviate their only daughter, he only meant for her to do it for the memories of tonight. Now that she is conscious, he realized that her spell somehow erased all memory of Ara Black. His daughter was truly lost, forever.

But, he did see an advantage to this mishap. As his wife stood in shock and guilt, he looked at his lost daughter with loving eyes.

"My dear, it's just me, your father," he said, quietly. "You are safe now, Mia."

Ara looked at Eridanus with fearful eyes. "Father?" she asked, shakily. "I'm so scared, what happened? I can't stop shaking."

Eridanus moved to sit next to his daughter. He cautiously placed an arm around her, and when she didn't retreat from his touch, he began.

"We were in a terrible accident, and I'm afraid you had been injured badly. Luckily, the doctors had said you would make a full recovery, and released you from confinement. You had fallen asleep on our way home from the hospital. The doctor said you might experience times like this, but to not worry, it is due to the trauma that you have endured, and will come to pass soon enough."

Ara took a minute to digest this information. She looked back and forth between her mother and father, as they both looked at her with hopeful eyes. Eridanus looked over to Carina, who hasn't said a word since she had realized what she had done.

"We will do everything we can to make sure your recovery goes well," he said, looking back at Ara. After a few moments, Eridanus took his daughter upstairs and let her rest in her bedroom. When he came back downstairs, Carina was sitting on the floor, staring at the flames in the fireplace.

He could see on her face the look of death. He knew at that instant that Carina didn't mean to do what had happened, but she is carrying all that guilt on her shoulders now. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken; this was not the woman he married just over three decades ago.

 _'Have I gone too far?'_ he thought, replaying the night's events in his mind. He only meant to do what was best for his family, but not only was his daughter lost, it seems as though his wife was lost to him as well.

"Carina," he said, softly.

"This was all your doing. Our daughter is gone," she spat out, not taking her eyes off of the fire.

"I only wanted to do what was best for us," he said, on the brink of tears. He knew he deserved this. He never meant to hurt either of them.

"Tomorrow we find out how much damage was done to her. Only when she is around will I play this charade with you, but when she is not around, Eridanus, you are dead to me."

Eridanus hung his head, understanding why Carina was acting the way she was. He had no response, and there was no reason to defend himself. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I love you both so dearly."

Carina stood and started to make her way to the bedroom. "I wish I could say the same."

* * *

Carina was sitting in the backyard when she heard the familiar sound of a pop. She rose from her seat to greet an old friend.

"Minerva, I'm so glad you're here," she said, embracing the older woman. "There is something we must discuss, about Ara."

"Is she alright? Did she not take the news well?" Minerva asked, concerned for her goddaughter. She has yet to see her since the Black family arrived in California.

"Something happened during our travel here, and I fear that I have lost my daughter forever," Carina started, trying to hold her tears back.

Minerva soothingly rubbed her friend's back. She was afraid to hear what had happened.

"Eri told me to obliviate Ara's memory of the night we fled. He didn't want her to remember him forcing her to leave with us. I think something happened while I was casting it on her, and she lost all memory of her identity. As far as she is concerned, she is Mia Taylor and she was always a Muggle, not the strong witch I knew her to be." Carina's voice cracked as she began to remember her precious Ara.

Minerva embraced her longtime friend as she began to shed her façade as Christina Taylor and became Carina Black for just a few moments. "That is terrible. What was Eridanus thinking? I should hex him to oblivion for doing what he has done to you both," Minerva said, comforting Carina. "I guess we must play along with this charade he has made, for the sake of Ara."

"I do not want her to forget where she has come from, Minerva," Carina said, softly. "When the time comes, will you bring her back to the wizarding world, and show her where she belongs?"

Minerva nodded. "I will find a way. She will be safe with me at Hogwarts, when it is her time."

"You are such a wonderful friend, I am forever in debt to you."

The ladies were quiet for a few moments, letting the slight breeze fill the air.

"Not all was lost, though," Carina said, ending the silence between them. "Surprisingly, her memories seem to be intact, but her identity is what was affected, along with the events from when we left. She did not remember myself or Eridanus for several hours after we had arrived, but once she had slept she remembered who we were. Eri has convinced her we had lived here all our lives, and she seems to be adapting well to the muggle world."

"Then your daughter is still in there. She may be buried deep inside, but she is there. Do not lose hope, Carina. If there is any way that we can regain her full memory, I will help you in any way possible." She embraced Carina once more before looking at the house. "Does she remember me?"

Carina nodded. "Yes, thankfully. Would you like to see her? I can hear her playing her piano."

* * *

It had been several days since Minerva had heard from Carina, which was uncharacteristic of her. Worried that something might have happened to her, she decided to pay the Blacks a visit.

When she apparated to the house, she noticed that the place was eerily dark, darker than usual. There was one faint light on. She hoped it was someone she knew. Fortunately, her knocking was answered by Ara, but it was not the Ara she once knew.

"Oh, Auntie! I've been meaning to contact you but I didn't know how!" Ara said, leaping onto her godmother. She caught her in her arms as Ara began to sob.

"Mia, dear, is everything alright? Where are your parents?" Minerva asked, looking up to see inside the house. There no signs of Carina or Eridanus anywhere, but there was a familiar blonde man that stood in the hallway leading into the kitchen.

He stared at Minerva, surprised at first, which turned into a look of evil and determination. He raised one long finger to his lips which were curled into a smirk.

At that point, she knew. She knew what he had done. Lucius Malfoy is behind whatever has happened to Carina and Eridanus. Everything in her was telling her to whip out her wand and take care of him, but she knew this could possibly make matters worse for Ara, who was now dealing with the loss of her parents. Although Ara was very much a grown woman, to Minerva she was still the little girl she always knew, and she will do anything to protect her.

She decided to play this charade for a little while longer, until she was able to bring her back to Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we have met. My name is Lucas Bradshaw, I work with Mia," Lucius graciously said as he walked over to Minerva and re-introduced himself.

She cautiously took his hand and shook it, never leaving eye contact with him. Ara took her hand and led her inside, and the three of them sat in the living room.

Minerva sat next to Ara and held her hand. "Why don't you start from the beginning, dear. What happened to your parents?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out, really," Ara said, looking down at the floor. "I came home and I found them here in the living room, dead. There were no signs of trauma or injury."

"We think it might have been some kind of accident," Lucius chimed in. "The authorities have already taken them away, but will release them within a few days."

 _'He seems so believable,'_ Minerva thought, looking at Lucius. She could feel herself going into Mother Lion mode, trying to protect her cub. "May I ask why you are still here, Mr. Bradshaw?" she asked, keeping her hands on Ara.

"I was bringing Mia home from work, when she noted that something didn't seem right, so I offered to walk her to the door, and that was when we found them," Lucius replied, smoothly. "I stayed to make sure she was alright."

Minerva couldn't believe her ears, her mind racing with a thousand questions that needed answers.

"That was very thoughtful of you," she said, looking at Ara. "I think she needs rest, now. I will stay with her tonight. You may leave if you wish."

"Very well. If there is anything you need, Mia, just call me," he said, resting his hand on Ara's shoulder.

"Thank you," Ara said softly, leaning towards Minerva. Lucas took his leave with Minerva staring at him the whole way out.

She looked at her precious god daughter and sighed, pushing away a rogue strand of hair off of her face. "Shall we go to bed? You look exhausted." Ara nodded as they both rose from their seats and made their way up the stairs.

"What am I going to do now? I can't live here by myself," Ara said, a panic attack beginning to manifest.

"Don't worry my dear, I will stay with you until you are well back on your feet. I am your god mother, and this is what we do," Minerva said, embracing her. "Come now, we will talk about this in the morning."


	15. Chapter 15: Black Bird of Hope

**A/N** **:** Hope everyone had a great weekend! It looks like we're coming towards the end of the first part of Mia's journey, but it's definitely not the end of this story. Updates might take a tad bit longer, just because after the next chapter or two I haven't quite planned out how I want the pacing to go and how I want certain things to happen. I'm probably going to start re-editing previous chapters for any spelling or grammatical errors I may have missed the first go around. I have also been thinking of breaking this into a series of stories rather than one long multi-chapter story. If you have any suggestions or comments or if there is something you want me to write about, please let me know in the reviews or PM me!

* * *

 **Chapter 15:** _Black Bird of Hope_

* * *

Cold, hard wood. That's all I was able to register from my senses. I opened my eyes, and realized I was sitting in a wooden chair, my hands bound at my wrists and my feet bound at my ankles. I tried to loosen the ties, but all it got me was a red, burning sensation and what felt like the rope getting tighter around me. I looked around, trying to figure out where I was at. I didn't recognize this room at all, but I'm guessing it has something to do with Lucius.

As I turned to see him walking into the room, I felt a sudden jolt of agonizing, searing pain course through my body. My back arched, trying to make the pain go away. The fact that he had me bound made the pain feel like it couldn't escape, so it swirled in my muscles. I screamed as I convulsed, feeling warm liquid run out of my nose. I looked down at the dark drops that landed on my jeans. Blood.

Painful sobs emanated from my chest. "Why?" I asked, hoarsely. I looked at him, pleading to let me go. Just show me mercy, just this one time.

"Isn't it obvious?" he countered, standing in front of me. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed the blood away from my nose. "I always get what I want. And, quite frankly, it's been quite lonely here in Malfoy Manor. It's nice to share the space with someone else."

"Even when they're here against their own will?" I asked, hunched over, trying to fight the pain still coursing through my body.

I could feel him staring at me. I needed to find a way out of here, even if that means dying in the process. I'd rather let my body rot than being under the same roof with him, ever again.

"I think in due time you will warm up to what I have to offer. It's just a matter of having you realize how beneficial it will be for you to be here." He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back. I cried out in pain, tears falling down my face. "Until then, you better make yourself comfortable in this chair." He let go, the force of his release throwing my head back and hitting the back of the chair, and he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Crying. That was all I was capable of doing. I wasn't sure how long I cried for, but it was enough to swell my eyes shut. I couldn't sleep. Between the pain that came and went, and the panic attacks from not being able to move, there was enough to keep my brain up and running, even if my body said otherwise. A few times I let the pain take its full course through my body, letting it suffocate me into passing out, and I was able to get some rest. Sometimes I would catch the sun rising in the room. Three times, I've counted.

Several times an elf, Dobby, would pop in to try and offer me food, but I always refused. Who knows what he could have done to that food? I didn't want to risk it. May be I would die of starvation. He can't do anything else to me once I was dead.

At some point, I was falling in and out of consciousness when Lucius decided to visit me again. I was tired, starving, and angry. I needed to get out of here. He summoned a chair and sat in front of me. He leaned back and looked me over, as if he was looking over a work of art. I could feel my blood boiling.

"Have you had enough time to consider my offer?" he asked, tapping his wand in his hand.

"My answer will never change," I said, mustering up all the energy I had left. I wasn't sure how long I would hold out like this. My only way out was death, and it couldn't come fast enough.

He stared at me for a moment, pursing his lips. He shoved his wand back in his pocket as he walked out of the room again.

Darkness welcomed me again.

* * *

 _This house seems oddly familiar. I walked through the hallways, staring at the pictures hanging off the walls. They were moving, like the ones I've seen in the photo album. The photos are of me and my parents._

 _The house suddenly whipped around me, and I landed in a different house. I was in a room with a tree painted along the wall. I noticed burn marks, and walked up to the wall to take a closer look. There were various names written on the wall, some with faces, and some with the burn marks, as if someone blasted the picture off the wall. At the top of the tree was a banner that read "Ancient and Noble House of Black" and the leaves silently rustled along the wall._

 _I walked out of the room and down the flight of stairs and into the library. There seemed to be no one else in the house but myself. I ran my fingers along the spines of the books, watching the dust lift as my fingers passed by._

 _"Disgrace to the family!" I heard someone screamed. In a panic, I whipped out my wand, ready to fight whoever it was._

 _"Disgrace! Blood Traitor!" they screamed again. It was hard to pin point where it came from._

 _The room swirled again and I found myself in the middle of a patch of grass. A deranged laughter came from the distance, and I could slowly see a lady skipping her way towards me. I kept my wand out, not really knowing what is going to happen next._

 _I really wish Severus was here._

 _"The filthy Black has returned!" she screamed, circling around me. My eyes never left her, following her every move. Her mess of black curls on top of her head and her pale face just made her look ghostly, but the fire in her eyes very much reminded me that she was very well alive._

 _She continued to circle and laugh at me never taking her fiery eyes off of my frozen body._

 _"Now, now, Bella," a familiar voice said._

 _I whipped my heard towards the direction of Lucius' voice, watching as he approached us._

 _"That's no way to treat my pet," he said, running his finger down the side of my face._

 _I slapped his hand away as hard as I could. "I am not your pet." I could feel the anger teetering over, almost ready to leave my body. He looked at me with angry eyes, ready to punish me for my disobedience. He flicked his wand toward me and I could feel my body burn. My wand flew out of my hands and disappeared into dust._

 _This isn't fair, he shouldn't be able to have so much control over me. My legs buckled from the pain, forcing me to land on all fours onto the grass. Once I was able to catch my breath, I realized the lady named Bella and Lucius had made their way to me, standing toe to fingers with me._

 _I could feel it, it's right there. My magic is building up, but I had no way of letting it out. I didn't have my wand on me, and I wasn't quite sure yet how I managed to do what I did back on Halloween. I couldn't take this anymore, I needed a way out._

 _Suddenly, I felt Lucius lay his hands on me, and screamed as I saw a bright, white light._

* * *

I was still stuck in this room, tied to this chair. I don't know how many times I've seen the sun rise and fall. I was at the end of my rope, but I have already accepted my fate. I just wish I was able to say goodbye.

My breaths became shallow as Lucius entered the room for the umpteenth time. I could tell he was aggravated, the way he bursted in and plopping himself onto the chair.

"You are wasting my time," he said, fire in his eyes.

I mustered up the strength to smile. "Good. Then you'll be furious when I'm finally dead."

Without any hesitation, he launched himself off of the chair and towards me, grabbing my neck, cutting off air. We were face to face, his breath flowing all around me. "You're not dying on my watch, not right now," he whispered.

"Get your filthy hands off of me," I managed to squeak, feeling the anxiety rising because of his proximity.

"To be quite frank," he said, kissing my cheek. "I miss being all over you." He continued to plant kisses on my face, slowly letting his grip go from my neck.

I couldn't take it anymore. His hands and lips all over me keep bringing back flashbacks of when we used to live together, and how miserable I was. I've been through it once, and I didn't feel like going through it again. I tried to push him away, but I had no strength. I tried to turn my face but his hands were too strong. Hot tears began to run down my face, mentally throwing the white flag to surrender.

He finally let me go, and started pacing around the room. After a few minutes, he stopped in front of the window, then flicked his wrist. The binds that kept me sitting to this chair loosened then disappeared. He flicked his wrist again, and the chair I was sitting on vanished, sending me right for the floor. I was sitting for so long, I wasn't able to straighten my legs right away. After a few painful pops of my bones, I was able to stand, albeit hunched over.

"Are you letting me go?" I asked him, trying to steady myself from the dizziness.

He turned to look at me. "From that chair, yes. You will remain here with me until you finally agree to what we have discussed."

I balled my hands into fists and closed my eyes, breathing in and out through my nose. "I guess I'm finding another way out then." I started to walk away when I felt him try to turn me around. On instinct, my fist flew up and met with the side of his face, knocking him over.

I guess those few self-defense lessons didn't go to waste after all. Feeling some energy (and possibly adrenaline) come back, I took a more defensive stance, knowing he would try to come at me.

"You wench!" he said, rubbing the side of his face.

He lunged at me, and my arms flew in front of me to stop him before he could get a good hold of my body. We struggled for bit, but his strength was too much, and he ended up turning me around. I jabbed him in the side with my elbow, feeling some of his weight come down on me as he tried to stay upright. I sunk my nails into his arm that was around me as I tried to wiggle free. He hissed at the pain before shoving me away and throwing me onto the floor. I wasn't fast enough in bracing myself, resulting in shooting pains running up from my wrists to my elbow, and a throbbing pain in my head from hitting the floor. I was dazed for a moment until I realized he was on top of me. He continued to try and keep me down, but I wasn't going to let him. The pain in my wrist got worse, but I had to fight through it.

"Why can't you see that this is where you belong? With high standing people like me?" Lucius asked through gritted teeth. "You are a Black, you belong with your own people, and people just like you!"

"I don't care what I am," I said, trying to catch my breath. "But my people, the ones that are like me, are at Hogwarts." I took another breath, trying to keep him off of me. "You are not a part of that group of people. You will never be!"

A familiar feeling emanated from my body. Energy suddenly exploded from my body, but I was very sensitive to it this time around. My anxiety, depression, panic, even my magic… I could feel it all mixing together and leaving my body. My arms flew to my sides while Lucius flew up and away, landing well across the room and hitting the wall, knocking him unconscious.

Stars flooded my vision as I sat up. This was my chance.

I need to get out of here.

I walked over to Lucius, making sure he wasn't going to regain consciousness anytime soon. He was out cold, not responding to any of my nudges. The stars began to fade away as I went in search for the photo album. I remember glancing at it, and saw that it stayed in the exact place where I had seen it before. Picking it up, I ran with this new energy towards the door.

"Damn it!" I cursed, jiggling the handle. It wouldn't budge. I was stuck in here. I started to panic again, trying to think of another way out. I started crying, realizing there was no other way out. I was destined to be stuck here with Lucius. I sunk to the floor, hugging the photo album to my chest, sobbing heavily.

I was never going to see Auntie Minnie again. I was never going to see Severus again. I'm sorry, to both of you.

 _Tap tap tap!_

I looked towards the window. There was a black bird sitting on the outside windowsill, tapping on the window.

 _Tap tap tap! Tap tap!_

The window!

I stood and walked over to the window, looking out at how far my fall would be. The bird continued to tap on the window as I put my hand on the glass, it didn't feel thick, and with enough force I should be able to run through it.

The bird was still tapping as I started to back up to the other side of the room, getting ready to run towards the window.

"Better move bird," I said as I started my run towards it. When I was close enough I jumped forward, throwing my whole body into the window which effectively shattered. Shards of glass stuck to me as I felt like I was falling in slow motion. I clung to the photo album for dear life, hoping I would survive this fall. May be I miscalculated and I'm much higher up than I thought. Before I lost consciousness again, I saw the black bird, staring at me.

* * *

"We must hurry, we don't know what injuries she could have obtained while at Malfoy Manor," a muffled voice said.

"I ensured Poppy will be ready for her, you know she will be in good hands," another voice said.

I didn't have the strength to open my eyes, but I could make out some of the conversation that was going on, but not enough to know who was there with me.

My head felt like it was spinning before I lost my ability to hear.

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

That blasted beeping was giving me a headache. I tossed and turned, wincing at the pain throughout my body. "Fuck me," I cursed, hoping it would make the pain run away.

"Merlin, Mia! You're awake!" I looked to see Auntie Minnie's tired eyes looking at me, tears on the verge of falling. "Please, try not to move until Poppy has seen you."

I nodded as I tried to get comfortable, waiting for Madame Pompfrey.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

I looked around to see the beeping was coming from a floating picture of what looked like a heart monitor. The beeps came in time with the beating of my heart. On the nightstand next to my bed, there was a tray full of vials, a small bouquet of flowers, and the photo album I was able to get away with. Madame Pompfrey came bustling in, standing on my side, opposite of Auntie Minnie.

"This will only take a moment, dear," she said as she waved her wand over my body. She studied the figures that appeared before her for a few minutes before waving them away.

"Besides your obvious malnourishment and your broken arm, you seem to fine. Sounded like you took a nasty fall, but those cuts will heal soon enough. Try not to move your upper body, you also have a few broken ribs. We will mend your broken bones, but you must stay here until you're back to perfect health."

I nodded as I looked over to Auntie Minnie. "Who brought me back here? I didn't think anyone knew where I was," I said, holding onto her hand a little tighter.

Auntie looked over to Madame Pompfrey, who nodded and left the room, giving us some privacy. "Severus figured it all out, and he came to me asking for help. My dear, for as calm as he projected himself, I have never seen him so panicked since he was a student here." She paused for minute, thinking about her words. "The headmaster and I came to find you, but the house looked so quiet on the outside, we weren't quite sure where to start, until you jumped out that window."

I tried to turn towards her, but the pain in my rib stopped me from turning all the way. "Thank you for coming to look for me. I was ready to die in there," I said, trying to hold back my tears.

"Mia," Auntie Minnie said, letting her tears fall, which lead to mine falling as well. "You are too strong of a witch to talk like that. Don't you ever talk like that ever again." She rose to kiss my forehead. "I must be going, it is getting late. Try and get some rest, yes?"

"I'll try, I'm still in a lot of pain, though," I said, trying to get comfortable.

"I know, I'm sure Poppy will have something for you if the pain becomes too much. I will see you in the morning." She gave me one more kiss before leaving my room. I heard her calling for Madame Pompfrey as the door to my private room swung to close.

I closed my eyes for a few minutes, trying to not think about the pain I was in. Madame Pompfrey came whisking in a few minutes later, and took two vials from the tray next to me. "Here, dear," she said, handing me one vial. "This will help ease the pain, and this one," she said, trading vials. "Will help you sleep. Pleasant dreams, Mia."

"Thank you Madame Pompfrey."

She waved her hand in the air, smiling warmly at me. "Please, call me Poppy. I will see you in the morning." She left the room as I could slowly feel the pain disappearing and the lull of sleep take over me.

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

That beeping will be the death of me. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the soft lighting in the room. I've never felt so rested and so hungry in my entire life. I was about to move when I realized there was a weight on my hand. I looked down to see a pile of black hair covering my hand and an open book next to said pile of hair.

There was no mistaking that the pile of black hair belonged to Severus. His hair oddly reminded me of the bird that came to my rescue. How long has he been here? He couldn't be comfortable hunched over and sleeping on my hand. I wriggled my fingers, pressing them into the palm of his hand. He began to stir and turned his head towards me.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," I said quietly, smiling at him. Seeing Severus was like taking a breath of fresh air after living in a polluted place for so long.

He finally got up from where he slept and gently kissed my forehead. "Good morning. Are you in any pain?" I could feel his eyes scanning me over, looking at the various cuts and bruises all over my face and arms.

"I think I'm okay for now. Some minor stinging, but I can handle it," I told him, looking at my arms. There were several small cuts where shards of glass penetrated my skin. There was a decent sized bruise on my right shoulder, probably from when I launched myself through the window. "I think I'm ready for some food though," I said, smiling at him. I still felt a little weak, but being able to rest has brought some strength back.

Severus took out his wand and pointed it towards a tray of food that was sitting on the counter. He levitated it over to my lap, then gave a quick flick and the food started to steam, bringing the scent up into my nose. I don't know how long it's been since I've had a meal, but I never remembered soup and bread smelling so good. He motioned for me to eat while he stepped outside of my room. The first spoonful of soup was heaven in my mouth. It was only a light vegetable soup, but I could taste each and every distinct flavor.

I was about halfway through my bowl before Severus returned. He looked at my bowl and raised an eyebrow. "Hungry, are we?"

"Lucius tried to feed me but I refused to take anything he offered. I didn't want to risk him doing anything. I'm not sure how long I was with him," I said, taking another spoonful.

"You were gone for a week before I was able to convince that man to do something," he said, seething. "Had I been able to, I would have attempted to rescue you that very night you left."

"A week?" I said, taking a bite of bread. "I lost track of time while I was there. I didn't think I would have lasted as long as I did." I remembered what Auntie Minnie told me the night before, and I wanted to ask Severus about it. "How did you know that he kidnapped me?"

He came to sit next to me again before beginning. "First of all, I ask that you forgive me for my actions, but I wasn't about to let you have a meeting with Lucius Malfoy all on your own. I knew how much this meant to you to have to do this on your own, so I silently followed you out of the castle, then watched from one of the towers as the both of you talked. The minute I saw him cast the Cruciatus I left the castle to try and help you, but by the time I reached the forest, the both of you were gone."

I looked down at my bread. I wanted to be mad at him for following me out, but a larger part of me was grateful that he did. If he hadn't, I don't think they would have been there as I flew out that window. In a sigh of defeat, I placed my bread on my lap and grabbed his hand.

"Thank you for not listening to me," I said, trying to make a joke. "I probably wouldn't have been here if you had."

He gave a small smile, rubbing his thumbs across my knuckles. "I can rest easy now knowing you are back and safe." He squeezed my hand before leaving my room.

After a couple of days and a few healed bones later, I got the green light from Poppy that I am free to go. Auntie Minnie summoned one of the house elves to bring my belongings to my room as she escorted me back, making sure I made it through the doorway.

"Thank you for walking me back, Auntie. You didn't have to, but I appreciate it," I said, sitting on the couch.

"Think nothing of it, dear," she said, eyeing the photo album that was left on the table. "There is no doubt you have questions about what is in that album. When you are ready, you can always come to me."

I nodded, yawning as I started to make my way to my bed. "May be not today, but I do want to sit and talk about it."

"Very well. Do get some rest, I will come by to check on you after dinner." When I finally heard the door click closed, I let myself fall unceremoniously onto the bed.

There were so many questions that needed answers. But where would I start? I guess I should start from the beginning with my family. Although I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with that part of me, I still wanted to know what I'm turning away from. Is this even something I can turn away from? Or am I just delaying the inevitable? I must have more family than just my parents, I will have to ask if I have any living relatives that I could go to.

I could feel my head spinning with questions as my body begged to rest. Although all I did was rest in the hospital wing, those beds aren't the most comfortable. My bed feels like clouds compared to what I slept on the past few nights. I looked over to the empty side of bed and thought of Severus. I closed my eyes, thinking about the time he stayed the night with me. Then I remembered what I said to Lucius.

 _When the time is right_ , I told myself before letting sleep take its hold on me.


End file.
